Cracking up? A Pilot study on Stress and Coping in Parents of Children Post Cochlear Implantation

This study was a pilot study examining the levels of stress experienced by parents of children with cochlear implants in an Irish population and how the parents cope with these levels of stress. While some psychological... [ view full abstract ]

This study was a pilot study examining the levels of stress experienced by parents of children with cochlear implants in an Irish population and how the parents cope with these levels of stress. While some psychological studies have been conducted on similar populations in other countries such as the UK, few if any have examined parental stress, and no such study has been done in Ireland which has unique cultural and political influences.
The aims of this study were to examine stress levels in parents whose children had received cochlear implants and their coping mechanisms at an exploratory level. This was correlated with problems the child was experiencing as identified by the parents. This was compared with problems noted by medical professionals who care for the child. The hypothesis was that parents with higher stress would be more likely to note additional problems with their child.
The study was a quantitative design, aimed at sampling the full population. The methods involved posted questionnaires and a medical chart review. The analysis was carried out using Pearson’s R correlations, independent samples t-tests and a multiple regression. Ethical approval was sought and approved by both the host institution and the academic institution.
The findings indicated an overall link between higher stress and overall child ratings on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. There was no difference noted between parent and medical professional noting of issues. Small response to recruitment prevents drawing concrete implications however the study highlights the need for further research in this area and this is supported by ad hoc qualitative information provided by some participants.