Document Type

Capstone

Abstract

The occupational role for a parent and/or caregiver of a child with special needs can be a stressful role. These individuals often assume the responsibilities of many different professions, with little time for their own health and wellness. This project aimed to investigate the use of mindfulness as a stress management tool for such parents and caregivers. The objectives of this project were to provide parents and caregivers of children with special needs a simple and realistic tool to decrease perceived stress, and to improve their overall role satisfaction. Attendants were provided with two educational training sessions in order to learn how to implement basic mindfulness techniques within their busy lives. The sessions were conducted at the local Children's Council, a community non-profit organization. Perceived stress was measured using The Perceived Stress Scale; role satisfaction was measured using The Parenting Sense of Competence Sale. Participants were asked to fill out questionnaires prior to the first educational session and at the start of the second educational session. After completing the two sessions, participants were provided with a handout to review the information provided and with additional resources for those who wish to continue learning. The results of the pre-survey indicated that participants had extremely elevated levels of perceived stress. Post-survey results demonstrated lower perceived stress, although still higher than average, and a higher sense of role competency. The study results are limited by the small sample size of 2 participants, limited information on outside factors, a short timeframe, and lack of sample diversity. Despite these limitations, the conclusions of this project can be seen as encouraging for the use of mindfulness education and training as a means to decrease perceived stress and to increase role satisfaction for parents and caregivers of children with special needs.

Publication Date

4-2018

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