Abstract of Project Funded for FY 1999
| Stress, Relgious and Non-religious Coping and Adjustment in Parents with
Recently Diagnosed Deaf Children
Silvestro Menzano, Psychology It is believed that hearing parents of deaf and hard of hearing children experience a great deal of stress upon being informed of their child’s hearing loss. However, few studies to date have examined the stress and coping process in this population, and how this process relates to parental adjustment. Further, little attention has been paid to the relationship between religion and parental stress, coping, and adjustment to the diagnosis of a child’s hearing loss. This project seeks to examine perceived stress, religious and non-religious coping, and adjustment in parents of recently diagnosed deaf and hard of hearing children. Participants will respond to written survey questions that explore diagnosis-related stress, general and religious coping methods, and parental adjustment, as measured by physical and mental health. It is hoped that the results of this study will help professionals better serve this population by increasing their awareness of and sensitivity to parental reactions to their child’s diagnosis of hearing loss. |