Abstract

COPING SKILLS AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENTS AMONG PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES (LD)

Author(s): Dzalani Harun, Emy Yew, Mahadir Ahmad, Nur Sakinah Baharudin

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between coping skills and psychosocial adjustments among parents of children with LD. Method: A
cross-sectional study with a convenience sampling method was applied to a total of 87 parents of children with LD from four non-government community
rehabilitation centers. They were measured using a validated Malay version of the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale (F-COPES) for coping
skills. The Modified Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self-Report (PAIS-SR) was used to measure parents’ psychosocial adjustments. Results: A
Spearman’s rho showed a correlation between total coping skills and psychosocial adjustments scores among parents (rs= -0.43, p<0.01). The analysis
showed that seeking social support (rs= -0.33, p<0.05), reframing (rs= -0.25, p<0.01), seeking spiritual support (rs= -0.30, p<0.05), and mobilizing to acquire
and accept help (rs= -0.33, p<0.05) have significant correlations to the total score of PAIS-SR. Conclusion: The study suggested that parents with better
psychosocial adjustment develop better coping skills. Therefore, strategies to improve coping skills and psychosocial adjustment should be considered for
parents of learning disabilities.

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