Stress und Coping bei Eltern von einem Kind mit einem Down-Syndrom. Die Überprüfung eines theoretischen Modells

Background : Several studies suggest high distress in parents of a child with Down syndrome. This study focused on the relation-ship between stress, individual, dyadic and social resources and different measures of well-being based on a theoretical stress model. Method : Path analyses separated for parental sex and functionality of coping were used to test the theoretical model using data collected from 75 couples. Results : Data supported the model with maternal emotional and paternal as well as maternal instrumental resources in the context of specific child related stress. Conclusion : The results underline the importance of the marital system for dealing with daily stress, but they also reveal that individual and social resources are needed.