Stress and coping among parents of handicapped children: a multidimensional approach.

The relations of child characteristics, family social network, parent belief systems, and coping styles to parent outcome were examined with parents of 48 young handicapped children. Child characteristics predicted mothers' and fathers' parenting stress and fathers' psychological distress. Parental belief systems predicted all three parent outcomes for mothers and fathers. Coping styles predicted psychological distress and fathers' family adjustment. Social network predicted family adjustment and fathers' psychological distress. Psychological distress was low in mothers who had either a positive belief system or a noncritical family network. Findings support the value of a multidimensional examination of family characteristics that mediate the impact of a child's handicap.