1. Tanta University
Faculty of Education
Department of Mental Health
Life pressures on the mothers of various
groups of disabled children and their
relation to future anxiety and quality of life
A Dissertation proposed for Master's degree in Education
(Specialty of Mental Health)
Researched by:
Asmaa Mohamed Mahmoud Abdul-Jayyed
Supervised by:
Prof. Ahmad Al-Husseini Helal
Mental Health Assistant Professor
Faculty of Education
Tanta University
Dr. Mohamed Abdul-Maksoud Ali
Mental Health Lecturer
Faculty of Education
Tanta University

2. Life pressures on the mothers of various groups of disabled
persons and their relation to future anxiety and quality of life
Abstract
Introduction:
A family is an integrated system formed of members whom are tied together
within intimate relationships, and affect each other, thus having any family
member exposed to inadequate circumstances or any disturbances would form a
pressure on the rest of family members, either directly or indirectly.
Undoubtedly, the family of a disabled child suffers high levels of mental stress,
anguish, distress and constant fatigue. It is also revealed that the presence of a
disabled child in a family exposes parents to multiple physical and psychological
problems that reflect their high levels of mental stress, and increases anxiety
levels in some parents (Zedan Al-Sartawy, Abdulaziz Alshakhs, 1998: 7).
In general, the family of a disabled child is liable to multiple pressures; all of them
are related to their child’s special needs and their own worry about their child’s
future and life later on. These pressures are even more intensified by the child’s
dependency on their family and burdens imposed by its presence, either indoors
or outdoors. These pressures evolve even more throughout child’s life (Ibrahim
Al-Zurayqaat, 2004: 338).
These pressures dominate all aspects of family life cycle, and such notion
compelled Turnbull (1986) to correlate between the developmental stages of
family life cycle and types of pressures affecting disabled children’s families, like
follows:
1- Infancy: includes giving an accurate diagnosis, creating emotional consistencies
and informing the rest of family members.

3. 2- Early childhood and school age: illustrating personal points of view about
child’s dominant circumstances, addressing peers reactions and planning the
child’s care and possible activities.
3- Adolescence: confronting the chronicity of child’s disability, addressing sexual
problems, overcoming adolescent’s rejection and isolation by peers, planning
child’s future career.
4- Departure and independency: coping with family’s continuous responsibility for
their disabled child, making decisions about adequate housing for the child,
coping with lack of opportunities for merging with society.
5- Post-Parenthood: Reforming relationships with spouse in light of child’s
condition, interacting with professional providers for alternative services,
planning for the future (Eman Kashef, 2010: 43-44)
Issue:
Every mother wishes for normal, ideal and healthy children. Parents think of their
child as a part of them and an extension for them, thus neither do they expect
their child to be disabled, nor do they want their child to be yet another typical
child, they expect a boy to be smart, strong and handsome and a girl to be
beautiful and smart etc.,. So, no wonder they would find their child’s disability to
be such a drastic, unexpected shock that would eliminate their hopes and
expectations and cause a tragedy.
Given the major role a family plays in their child’s life, and the negative effect
caused by disability, it was most important to thoroughly understand parents’
feelings and recognize problems they face, through indicating their levels of
mental stress, future anxiety and quality of life.
The findings of many studies (Heiman, T., 2002; Gupta, R., K. & Kaur, H., 2010;
Quittner, A., L., et al, 2010; Totsika, V., et al, 2011; Scheffer, N., et al, 2012)
implied disabled children impose a threat for their mothers whom are more likely
to suffer from personal depression, emotional problems and high levels of stress,

4. and that the child’s disability has adverse consequences on parent’s quality of life,
due to prolonged needs and special care needed for disability, and their anxiety
about their child’s future.
The study issue emerged during the researcher’s work in a special education
center in Tanta. She found out that most disabled children mothers constantly
have questions about their children’s future and whether they would be able to
lead an independent life, continue their education and get married in the future.
We can summarize the study issue in the following questions:
1- What is the relation between life pressures and future anxiety & quality of life
in autistic children mothers?
2- What is the relation between life pressures and future anxiety & quality of life
in mentally retarded children mothers?
3- What is the relation between life pressures and future anxiety & quality of life
in hearing impaired children mothers?
4- What is the relation between life pressures and future anxiety & quality of life
in visually impaired children mothers?
5- Are there any differences among averages of life pressures levels in autistic,
mentally retarded, hearing impaired or visually impaired children mothers?
6- Are there any differences among averages of future anxiety levels in autistic,
mentally retarded, hearing impaired or visually impaired children mothers?
7- Are there any differences among averages of quality of life levels in autistic,
mentally retarded, hearing impaired or visually impaired children mothers?
8- Can we predict life pressures by using future anxiety and quality of life
variables in autistic, mentally retarded, hearing impaired and visually impaired
children mothers?

5. Goals:
The present study aims to achieve the following goals:
1- Observing the relation between life pressures and future anxiety & quality of
life in autistic, mentally retarded, hearing impaired and visually impaired children
mothers.
2- Identifying the differences among autistic, mentally retarded, hearing impaired
and visually impaired children mothers.
Significance:
The study significance emerges from the fact it seeks identifying pressure levels
suffered by autistic children mothers and it approaches anxiety variable as a
distinct feature of this era, so quality of life has become a main objective for
research and study, considering it the ultimate path for a better future.
Significance of the present study emerges from the following:
1- Lack of Arabic-written studies which discuss the present study variables.
2- The present study is consistent with modern trends that call for paying care
and attention to disabled children and their families simultaneously.
3- The present study presents a comprehensive theoretical framework regarding
autistic, mentally retarded, hearing impaired and visually impaired children
Terminology:
The present study included the following terms:
1- Stress.
2- Future anxiety
3- Quality of life

6. 4- Autism
5- Mental Retardation
6- Hearing impairment
7- Visual Impairment
Limitations:
1- Study sample:
Study sample consisted of (120) disabled (mentally retarded – hearing impaired –
visually impaired – autistic) children mothers. The sample was selected by
random, and (30) mothers were chosen for each disability presented in the
sample.
2- Instruments used for the present study were the following:
(1) Stress Scale prepared by: Viola El-Beblawy (1988)
(2) Future Anxiety Scale prepared by: Ahmad Ragab Mohamed El-Sayed (2008)
(3) Quality of Life Scale prepared by: Ashraf Ahmad Abdulqader (2013)
Hypotheses:
1- Presence of a statistically significant correlation coefficient between life
pressures and future anxiety & quality of life in autistic children mothers.
2- Presence of a statistically significant correlation coefficient between life
pressures and future anxiety & quality of life in mentally retarded children
mothers.
3- Presence of a statistically significant correlation coefficient between life
pressures and future anxiety & quality of life in hearing impaired children
mothers.

7. 4- Presence of a statistically significant correlation coefficient between life
pressures and future anxiety & quality of life in visually impaired children
mothers.
5- Absence of statistically significant differences among the averages of life
pressure levels in autistic, mentally retarded, hearing impaired and visually
impaired children mothers.
6- Absence of statistically significant differences among the averages of future
anxiety levels in autistic, mentally retarded, hearing impaired and visually
impaired children mothers.
7- Absence of statistically significant differences among the averages of quality of
life levels in autistic, mentally retarded, hearing impaired and visually impaired
children mothers.
8- Life pressures can be predicted by using future anxiety and quality of life
variables in disabled children mothers.
Statistical methods employed:
The researcher employed the following methods to confirm research validity
through SPSS Statistics version 21:
- Mean and standard deviation
- Pearson correlation coefficient
- One-way analysis of variance
- Scheffé's test
- Linear regression analysis

8. Findings:
The present study gave out the following results:
1- Presence of a statistically significant correlation coefficient between life
pressures and future anxiety & quality of life in autistic children mothers.
2- Presence of a statistically significant correlation coefficient between life
pressures and future anxiety & quality of life in mentally retarded children
mothers.
3- Presence of a statistically significant correlation coefficient between life
pressures and future anxiety & quality of life in hearing impaired children
mothers.
4- Presence of a statistically significant correlation coefficient between life
pressures and future anxiety & quality of life in visually impaired children
mothers.
5- Presence of statistically significant differences among the averages of life
pressure levels in autistic, mentally retarded, hearing impaired and visually
impaired children mothers.
6- Presence of statistically significant differences among the averages of future
anxiety levels in autistic, mentally retarded, hearing impaired and visually
impaired children mothers.
7- Presence of statistically significant differences among the averages of quality of
life levels in autistic, mentally retarded, hearing impaired and visually impaired
children mothers.
8- Life pressures can be predicted by using future anxiety and quality of life
variables in disabled children mothers.