HW410

Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Unit 9 Final Project

Stacy Stotler

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

October 27, 2020

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Stress Management and Prevention Program

Introduction

All parents feel stress when they see their children face challenging problems, but the stress

levels endured by parents of children with disabilities are overwhelming. The target population for

this stress management and prevention program is parents of children with disabilities. These parents

often worry and feel overwhelmed that they might not do the right thing for their children, or that they

are going to fail them or not be able to save them from harm.  A recent study found that mothers of

children with autism had levels of stress hormones comparable to soldiers in combat (Seltzer, et al.

2010). Many parents, so focused on their children’s needs, don’t stop to think about their own health,

and can benefit from a stress management prevention program to balance the needs of their children

and their own health and wellness.

Explain 10 stressors of this population

1. Learning about disability and needs of the child – Parents are faced with

overwhelming information regarding the complexities of their child’s disabilities.

There is no “cookie cutter” pattern to the needs of children diagnosed with a disorder,

disease, etc. Parents need to learn and understand what everything means, how it

impacts their child’s development and the multiple needs their child may need.

2. Financial pressures - Parents of children with disabilities often earn less and work fewer

hours, then people whose children have no medical problems. Families may struggle to pay

for therapies that are not covered by health insurance or provided by schools, special

equipment needs, etc.

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3. Fear - Parents worry and fear about their child’s pain and suffering, their future, that

they may not be doing enough for their child, medical issues and exposure to illness,

are they safe and being treated fairly, and the list goes on. Parents often play the

“What if” game with their fears. What if my child never walks or talks? What if my

child need surgery? What if they have seizures?

4. Guilt – For many parents, guilt also is associated with embarrassment also. Parents

feel guilty that they may not be able to protect their child from harm. The experience

guilt over lack of attention to other relationships (other children, spouse, parents).

They feel guilt when they experience jealousy or resentment towards others who have

normally developing children without disabilities. They tend to keep this guilt

internalized because they are embarrassed by it.

5. Grief – For many parents, they have preconceived ideas of parenting and when their

child has disabilities, they grieve over the loss of these expectations. They also have

grief over the loss of hopes and dreams for their child. Reminders of what their child

misses out on causes chronic sadness and depression as well.

6. Social isolation – This occurs when parents miss out on family or social activities

because their child’s disability prevents them from participating. Parents also

experience criticism or judgement from others who don’t understand their child’s

disability. The invitations stop coming, and parents often feel like an outsider, isolated

and alone, with lack of a support system.

7. Medical and healthcare concerns – Parent of children with disabilities are constantly

researching and advocating for their child. There are always concerns with medical

issues and illnesses their child may be more susceptible to acquiring. Most times,
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access to healthcare, specialists, treatments and therapies can be difficult to obtain,

limited access, or require the need to travel.

8. Time management – Balancing their time between the needs of their child and personal

needs is sometimes near impossible. Some children with disabilities require 24/7 care,

leaving parents with little to no time for self-care for themselves. Trying to manage

multiple appointments, school, therapies, work, homelife, etc. is a full-time job in

itself.

9. Behavioral challenges – When a child’s disabilities are coupled with behavior

problems, this makes life even more stressful. The hitting, biting, tantrums, self-

injurious or repetitive behaviors always have parents on edge. Waiting for the phone

call from school or daycare, and just hoping the child can make it through the day.

Not to mention, the child may have sleep or feeding difficulties, or be picky eaters,

making nighttime and meals even more stressful.

10. Concerns about the future – This is a constant stressor for parents of children with

disabilities. These parents are the care provider for their children who may never be

able to live on their own. Some children are totally dependent for all of their care,

which is provided by their parents. Parents stress of concerns of their future. What

will happen to their child when they are too old to care for them or after they die?

What happens with their child grows too big to pick up and carry, transfer, bathe,

change their diaper? This also brings up more “What if” questions.

Why are these stressors important to consider for this population?

Parents naturally have stress. They are the caregivers and are responsible for the

health and well-being of their children. When parents have children with disabilities, they
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have added responsibility of not only making sure their children are raised properly, kept safe,

and are exposed to learning, but now have all of the stressors listed above to worry about.

Children with disabilities have additional needs that require their parents to make sure are

taken care of. When parents are so consumed with the care of their child or children, they

lack care for themselves. When parents lack self-care, they are unable to keep up or handle

the emotional and physical demands of being a special needs parent. This imbalance causes

stress.

Stress can be defined as “the experience of a perceived threat (real or imagined) to one’s

mental, physical, or spiritual well-being, resulting from a series of physiological responses and

adaptations” (Seaward 2018). Acute stress is when the stressor occurs for only a short period of

time and then is over quickly. Chronic stress is a long-term stress that lasts over a period of time,

such as the types of stressors parents of children with disabilities face. (Stahl and Goldstein

2019). Chronic stress can lead to health conditions such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack,

metabolic disorders, weakened immunity, migraines, and more. Stress also impacts our memory,

emotional well-being, communication, relationships with others, happiness, and overall well-being.

Describe at least three (3) stress management/mindfulness techniques and their benefits.

Managing stress is key to having a well-balanced mind, body and spirit. There are many

different techniques that parents can implement into their daily life that can help them deal with

their chronic stress. Three different examples of those techniques are meditation, visualization

and imagery, and yoga. These techniques can help parents refocus and manage their chronic

stress which allows their body a chance to relax.

Meditation is a practice of increased concentration that leads to an increased awareness.

It focuses on living in the present moment so that you can have a tranquil state of mind.
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Meditation is a solitary practice that has one reflect on their internal thoughts and feelings though

mindfulness, instead of external stimuli which cause stress. When engaged in mindfulness

through meditation, numerous health benefits can occur. Meditation has shown to improve

working memory and the ability to recall information, increased attention, improved sleep, pain

reduction, decreased headaches, fatigue, heart rate, blood pressure, and stress. (Seaward, 2018).

The use of imagery and visualization also are useful for relaxation. Daydreaming is

common, but few understand this is a part of imagery to help reduce stress and promote

relaxation. By using this daydreaming concept, we give the body a chance to unwind, relax and

recharge so it can deal with stress more effectively. Imagery and visualization fall into three

areas; tranquil nature scenes, behavioral changes, internal body imagery. With tranquil nature

scenes, we imagine ourselves in a peaceful and relaxing place, like vacation, beach, mountains,

etc. By visualizing these scenes, it provides a visual escape from our current environment

causing stress and promotes relaxation and calmness. Behavioral changes are a part of cognitive

restructuring, where we address negative behaviors. Using imagery to promote a new, desired

behavior, the repeated use of imagery promotes the behavior change over time. Another use for

imagery in behavior changes is to use a person’s imagination to overcome a fear or anxiety by

repeated exposures to the situation in their own mind while in a relaxed state. Internal body

imagery is the act of imagining part of the body in a healthy state. Signs and symptoms of stress

can produce physical ailments. Using positive body imagery or imagining the illness or disease

as something peaceful and non-threatening, it can promote health. (Seaward, 2018).

Yoga is a technique that incorporates physical poses to increase flexibility and focuses on

the relationship between the body and breathing. (Stahl and Goldstein, 2019). Yoga helps

improve energy and the increased flexibility releases tension stored in muscles. Yoga helps keep
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the body fit and the breathing exercises used during yoga helps to center the mind. Yoga has

been shown to reduce stress, lengthen muscles, decrease heart rate and lower blood pressure.

(Seaward 2018).

How would you implement this program?

This stress management and prevention program would be implemented at Meritus Total

Rehab Care Pediatric program, where I work. This program provides outpatient physical,

occupational and speech therapy to children with special needs. So many times, parents voice

their stressors they faced with and we want to be able to provide them with a program and

support to help. Our pediatric therapy clinic would provide a meditation room for parents to go

to when their child is in the clinic for their therapy appointments. The medication room would

provide a relaxing environment and areas for parents to practice meditation and mindfulness.

There would be sensory lighting, comfortable seating, relaxing pictures for imagery and

visualization, and areas set up for meditation with instructions. Once a month, a local massage

school will provide students to offer free massages to parents in the meditation room free of

charge. In addition, we would start a support group for parents which would meet monthly.

While originally the therapy staff would start and lead the support group, we would eventually

like it to be a peer run group by the parents. We would still be available to help and assist in any

way possible. During the support groups, stress management topics and activities would be

provided, from yoga, tai chi, exercise, crafts and activities.

What obstacles could you face and how would you overcome them?

Of course, there are always obstacles when it comes to planning any program. The

biggest obstacle would be having a location for our meditation room and also one for the support

group. Working in a large medical facility, this can be arranged with collaboration with other
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areas and departments. We would also recruit volunteer to help with the support group and

activities offered. These volunteers could come from the hospital volunteer program or student

volunteers from local high school and colleges. Funding would also be an obstacle. To assist

with the cost of the mediation room and supplies for activities during the support groups, we

would request a grant through the Meritus Healthcare Foundation.

Identify two types of health professional that could support this program

There are many healthcare professionals that could help support this program. The

program would offer guest presenters at the support group meetings such as social workers/case

managers who could help provide information on how to navigate the healthcare system, make

appointments, acquire medical equipment, etc. Mental health counselors could also provide

education and resources to parents during support group meetings. The Total Rehab Care

therapy department could also support the program by teaching and leading exercises classes,

yoga, nutrition, etc.

How would you measure the success of this program?

The success of the program would be measured by a stress management survey provided

to the parents. It would also allow the parents to give feedback on activities and information

they would like to receive during support groups.

Summary

Stress is something that everyone experiences at some point in life. The stress of parents

who have children with disabilities is a long term, chronic stress that causes them worry and fear

about the future. Social isolation often occurs because of the needs of their child. By providing

a stress management and prevention program geared specifically toward these parents, it will

hopefully provide them an outlet for their stress. It will also help them to know they are not
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alone in their fight and worry. By bonding with other like parents, they can form friendships

which can offer support for one another. Taking time for themselves, they can learn and practice

mindfulness techniques to help reduce their stress and create a healthy and balanced mind, body

and spirit.
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References

Seaward, B. (2018). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being (9th

ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2019). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook (2nd ed.).

New Harbinger Publications.

Seltzer, M. M., Greenberg, J. S., Hong, J., Smith, L. E., Almeida, D. M., Coe, C., & Stawski, R.
S. (2010). Maternal cortisol levels and behavior problems in adolescents and adults with ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 40(4), 457–469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-
009-0887-