Examination of affiliate stigma, hopelessness and life satisfaction in parents of children with intellectual disabilty

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Affiliate Stigma Scale in Turkish culture, to determine the effective factors and to examine affiliate stigma, hopelessness and life satisfaction of parents with intellectual disabeled children. Material and Method: Study in which the first stage methodological and the second stage descriptive were carried out in Erzincan in all special education and rehabilitation centers between April 2016 and May 2017. The sample of the study included 178 in the first stage and 203 in the second stage who agreed to participate in the survey. Data were collected using face-to-face interview method using Personal Information Form, Affiliate Stigma, Beck Hopelessness and Life Satisfaction Scales. In the analysis of the data, language and coverage validity, explanatory and confirmatory factor analysis, cronbach alpha coefficient, re-test methods and Mann Whitney-U test, Kruskall Wallis Spearman correlation analysis were used. Results: Language and coverage validations of Affiliate Stigma Scale were made. As a result of explanatory and confirmatory factor analysis, it was determined that the scale was an one dimensional structure, factor loadings (0.585 - 0.857) were in the appropriate range and Cronbach α coefficient was 0.965. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean score of Affiliate Stigma, Beck Hopelessness and Life Satisfaction scores of the parents according to gender, age group and obstacle level of disabled children (p> 0.05). There was a positive correlation between Affiliate Stigma and Beck Hopelessness and a statistically significant negative correlation with Life Satisfaction. Conclusion: In parents with intellectual disabeled children, affiliate stigma and hopelessness need to be reduced and life satisfaction should be increased. Keywords: Affiliate Stigma, Child, Hopelessness, Intellectual Disability, Life Satisfaction, Nurse, Parent.