Resilience and happiness: Source of coping in mothers with mentally retarded children

Pages:451-455
Sudha Rathore and Roopa Mathur (Department of Psychology, IIS University, Jaipur, Rajasthan)

The study was conducted to find out the relationship and interaction between resilience and happiness with coping strategies in mothers of mentally challenged children. Coping strategies are actions that people can take to master, tolerate, reduce, or minimize the effects of stressors they can include both behavioral strategies and psychological strategies. Resilience is tied to the ability to learn to live with ongoing fear and uncertainty, namely, the ability to show positive adaptation in spite of significant life adversities and the ability to adapt to difficult and challenging life experiences. Happiness is commonly understood as how much one likes the life one lives. The sample size of the study was 100. The participants were mothers of educable mentally retarded children (between the age group of 7 to 15 years) studying in special schools. Tools used were Oxford Happiness Inventory, Coping Response Inventory Adult form and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Correlation (Bivariate Pearson) and Regression analysis (Linear) is computed using SPSS 16. Findings suggest that there is positive and significant relationship between happiness and resilience with approach coping strategies in mothers with mentally retarded children. Resilience as a better predictor of approach coping strategies. There is paucity of research in this area in context with mothers of mentally challenged children therefore further studies are required for strong theoretical evidence using efficiency modal rather than deficiency modal.