Background: Young adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities lack access to mental health supports. Peer-delivered services may fill this gap. We adapted a theory-driven and evidence-based peer mentoring intervention for virtual-delivery and investigated its acceptability and participants' preliminary response. Methods: Twelve…

Background: Early Positive Approaches to Support (E-PAtS) is a co-produced and co-facilitated group programme that aims to provide early years support to family caregivers of children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Method: Thirty-five caregivers who had attended E-PAtS groups took part in individual interviews or focus groups.…

Aggression is a known contributor to burnout and caregiver instability among direct support professionals (DSPs) caring for adults with developmental disabilities. However, few studies have explored the differential effects of aggression subtypes on caregivers and what implications these may have for intervention planning. This longitudinal study…

Background: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) from low income diverse communities are experiencing the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic most acutely. Method: To better understand the impacts of the pandemic on the wellbeing of adults with IDD from an urban US region and how they are managing the associated…

Mothers of children with developmental disabilities suffer from tremendous stress and anxiety. These mothers may use religion and spirituality as coping mechanisms to help them adjust to changes emerging in their lives as well as to resolve problems. This study evaluated the spiritual needs of mothers of children with developmental disabilities…

Learning about a child's condition and raising a child with a developmental disability can be challenging and emotionally overwhelming, but systematic support programs for parents are practically nonexistent. We find that providing support for parents should be an important public health priority which should be made available through educational,…

Background: An in-depth exploration of the experience of midlife fathers of developmentally disabled young adults (aged 19-32 years) was motivated by a dearth of research in this area (McKnight, "PsyPAG Quarterly," 94, 2015, 10). Method: Five fathers participated in semi-structured interviews which were subjected to interpretative…

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare perceptions of coping as experienced by 240 mothers of adolescents with and without developmental disability in the Druze community in Israel. Method The mothers completed the Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Grandparents Functional Support Assessment, Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation…

Background: Parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) face greater caregiving demands than parents of children without DD. There is considerable variability in parents' adjustment to raising a child with DD, however. In line with a strengths-based approach, this study explores coping strategies as potential mechanisms of resilience…

Background: Mothers' cognitive appraisal of the family impact of childhood disability and their positive affect as a psychological coping resource, both key elements of the process model of stress and coping, were tested as explanatory variables of family adjustment. Method: In a sample of Canadian families, 195 mothers of children with…

Background: Parents rearing children with developmental disabilities encounter stressors that require coping and adaptation. In Glidden et al. 2006, the use of problem-focused coping strategies was more often associated with positive adjustment outcomes than was the use of emotion-focused coping strategies, and parental personality was shown to…

Discusses the discrepancy between the attitudes of social workers and parents of developmentally disabled children. A recent study showed that 75 percent of the parents (N=27) reported the experience had made them stronger, while only nine percent of the social workers surveyed believed parents felt that way. (JAC)

This report traces the recent recognition given to the needs and feelings of siblings of individuals with mental retardation. The development of social support groups for siblings from 1960 to the present is described, including the establishment of the landmark Brother-Sister Group, the founding of the Association for the Help of Retarded…

To investigate the process whereby families cope with the stresses associated with the decision to transfer their developmentally disabled relatives and are able to overcome their negative attitudes and feelings toward the relocation and the new facilities, 187 relatives (72% parents) of residents who were transferred were surveyed. The residents…

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT) 2016, taking place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 30 of April to 2 of May, 2016. Psychology, nowadays, offers a large range of scientific fields where it can be applied. The goal of understanding individuals and groups (mental functions and…