A research on the anxiety levels of parents who have mentally handicapped children

Abstract

In this research, it is aimed to specify the anxiety levels of parents who have mentally handicapped children. For this purpose, the state anxiety levels of parents with mentally handicapped children that the parents will have when they spend time with their children in social environments (visiting neighbours, shopping centres, restaurants and communication in terms of reactions) and the anxiety levels they always have are studied. In this study Spielberger’s “Trait-state Anxiety Inventory” and the Identity Survey developed by the researchers are used as data gathering devices. 264 mothers and 51 fathers, totally 315 parents, whose children attend a special education institution in Meram, Karatay and Selçuklu, the central districts of Konya, and Akşehir, Yunak, Ilgın, Doğanhisar and Kadınhanı, districts of Konya, form the sample of this study. According to the findings, it is seen that, state and trait anxiety levels of mothers are significantly higher than fathers’. In relation to the levels of education, there is a significant differentiation in level of state anxiety whereas there is not a significant difference in trait anxiety levels, in relation to the levels of income, there is a significant difference in trait anxiety and state anxiety.