Psychological Challenges and Coping Strategies of Parents of Children with Intellectual Disability in Selected Special Units in Embakasi Division of Nairobi County, Kenya.
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Date
2013-12-17
Authors
Marigi, M. C.
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Abstract
The Kenya Society for Mentally Handicapped estimates that in Kenya 3.6 million people are living with intellectual disability. Intellectual disability is often a challenge to both the individual and the parents. In Kenya, the concern for persons with intellectual disability has increased since independence. Though much focus has been given to provision of servipes and education to children with intellectual disability, little has been invested in understanding the psychological well being of parents of children with intellectual disability in Kenya, and particularly identifying the psychological challenges they face and what can be done to reduce or mitigate their effect. This is despite the crucial role such parents can play in ensuring that children with intellectual disability are nurtured to fully actively and productively live in society. Therefore, the current study seeks to address this gap by investigating the psychological challenges and coping strategies of parents of children with intellectual disability in selected Special Units in Embakasi Division of Nairobi County, Kenya. The study will be guided by the theory of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Murry Parkes' theory of psychological Transitions. The study will use a descriptive survey design. The target population is parents of children with Intellectual disability in Embakasi Division of Nairobi county. Purposive sampling will be used to select two units, while stratified random sampling will be used to select respondents from the units. Data will be collected using questionnaires and structured interviews, and analyzed using quantitative and qualitative teclmiques. Data will be analyzed by means of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) using descriptive statistics such as means, frequencies, percentages, standard deviation and inferential statistics namely the chi-square. The study is expected to yield data on
psychological challenges experienced by parents of children with intellectual disability and the coping strategies used by parents to deal with these challenges. The study findings will provide crucial information which could guide policy makers to include parents' needs in formulation and implementation of policies concerning children with intellectual disability.