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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 84 (2013) 749 – 753

3rd World Conference on Psychology, Counselling and Guidance (WCPCG-2012)

A Study of The Family Cohesion in Families with Mentally Disable
Children

Abbas Ali Hosseinkhanzadeh a *, Mehdi Esapoor b, Taiebeh Yeganeh c, Reza Mohammadi d

a
Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
b
Mininstry of education, Amol, i.r. Iran
c
young researchers club, Tonekabon branch, Islamic Azad university,Tonekabon, Iran
d
Mininstry of education, Amol, i.r. Iran

Abstract

The aim of the present research was to study the Family cohesion in families with mentally retarded children. The sample of the
study was the parents of 138 Mental Retarded students at primary and secondary schools in Amol and Babol cities in year 2007 -
2008.
significant difference between understanding of father and mother family cohesion. Family cohesion can play an important role
as one of the major supportive resources for families with mentally disable children.
© 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
© 2013 Published
Selection by Elsevier
and peer-review Ltd.responsibility
under Selection andof
peer review
Prof. under theUzunboylu
Dr. Huseyin responsibility of Dr.
& Dr. Melehat Demirok,
Mukaddes Halat Near East University, Cyprus
Keywords: Cohesion, Family, Child, Educable Mental Retarded;

1. Introduction

Universally, the families exist in all human societies and it is described as a social institution responsible for child
production, child rearing, and emotional and economic support for its members (Lamanna and Reidman, 2003). It is
also considered as a means for proper functioning of the society. Family cohesion is described as the emotional
togetherness or separateness of members of the family (Hetherington and Kelly, 2002). Cohesion is an important
dimension for trying to understand interactions among family members.

People with mental retardation often cause distress among their family members. Numerous studies have focused
on the burden of care experienced by family members living with individuals with severe mental disorders. Family
members face financial problems, difficulty enjoying leisure activities, and various degree of distress while trying to
understand the behavior of psychiatric patients living at home. Family members may report strong emotions such as
fear and anxiety reg The burden of care imposed on a family

* Corresponding author name. Tel.: 0098-131-6690274-7

E-mail address: Khanzadeh@ut.ac.ir , Abbas_khanzadeh@yahoo.com

1877-0428 © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Huseyin Uzunboylu & Dr. Mukaddes Demirok, Near East University, Cyprus
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.06.639
750 Abbas Ali Hosseinkhanzadeh et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 84 (2013) 749 – 753

may be negatively linked to the overall level of family function (Cornwall & Scott, 1996; Platt, 1985; Horowitz &
Reinhard, 1995; Mors & Sorensen, 1991).

The stress and coping difficulties of parents having children with developmental disabilities have been studied
from both positive and negative points of view. Numerous studies tend to highlight the negative aspects of having a
child with disability. These negat -
emotional resources and coping strategies, interrupting the normal routine of the family, and depriving personal
growth opportunities (Ditchfield, 1992; Hadadian, 1994; Hanline, 1991; Mallow and Bechtel, 1999). All these
negative impacts may lead parents to adopt maladaptive coping skills including feelings of guilt, pessimism,
hostility, aggression and avoidance. Similarly, medical professionals also focus on how badly a child with disability
would affect the family system and the stress thus created to the parents or caregivers. Parents and caregivers are
identified as those who constantly need professional assistance and advice to raise their child (Browne and
Bramston, 1998).

In order to understand the effects of a presence of mental retarded child on relationship of family members, it is
very important to understand the family's Cohesion. Most of the researches express Cohesion as family's ability in
balancing members' being together and independence (Jefferson, 2007). In families with mentally retarded children,
family's Cohesion can be an important supporting factor for members. Some of the researches have reported that
having a mental retarded child will lead to sympathy and emotionality, independence, philanthropy and
benevolence, better understanding of individual's differences, high self-confidence, accepting responsibility, more
patience, and much more Cohesion (Pit-ten cate & Loots, 2000; Dyson, 1996; Johnsey, 2000).

In any case, with respect to mentioned studies, this research has been carried out to study the following
questions:

1) Is there a significant relationship between gender of the mentally retarded children, their level of education,
and parents' understanding of family cohesion?

2) Is there a significant difference between the child's parents' understanding of family Cohesion?

3) Is there a significant difference in father's understanding of family Cohesion in different educational levels
(elementary school and Middle School)?

4) Is there a significant difference in mother's understanding of family Cohesion in different educational levels?

2. Methodology

The sample of the study was the parents of 138 educable students at primary and secondary schools in Amol and
Babol cities in year 2007- 2008. (none of the students who participated in the research have other disabilities, such
as blindness, deafness, language deficiency and mobility handicap).

2.1. Tools

Family Cohesion's Scale: This scale designed by Bloom and Naar (1994). Developers of the scale reported the
alpha coefficient 0/84 and 0/75 for mothers and fathers, respectively. In the current study, Test-retest reliability over
a three-week period 0/89 and alpha coefficient 0/87 was also satisfactorily high.
 Abbas Ali Hosseinkhanzadeh et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 84 (2013) 749 – 753 751

3. Tables

Descriptive statistics showed that the number of educable mental retarded students was 138 that 65 were females
(30 at elementary school and 35 middle school) and 73 were males (31 at elementary school and 42 middle school).
Most of the mothers were housekeepers (96/4), worker mothers (2/9) and employees (0/7). Most of the fathers were
self employed (0/42), workers (26/1), farmers (18/8), employees (12/3) and others (0/7).

Table 1. Mean and Standard deviation of parents' understanding of family Cohesion according to sex and educational level of mental retardation
children

Father's Mother's
understanding of understanding of
Cohesion Cohesion
Elementary school X= 27/97 X= 26/90
SD= 3/15 SD= 4/02
Boys
Middle school X= 27/48 X= 26/78
SD= 4/5 SD= 4/4
Elementary school X= 27/2 X= 25/1
SD= 4 SD= 6/28
Girls
Middle school X= 27/83 X= 27/03
SD= 4/22 SD= 4/74
Table 1 show that, the mean score of understanding of mother family cohesion is between (25/1) and (27/03), and
fathers' is between (27/2 ) and (27/97 ).
In order to study the first question about whether there is a significant interaction between sex of mental retarded
children and education level, and fathers' and mothers' understanding of family cohesion , the repeated measure
method was used. Results show that there is no significant interaction between levels of education { F (134, 1) =
0/43 and P < 0/51 } , sex { F (134, 1) = 0/44 and P < 0/51 } and sex in level of education { F (134, 1) = 1/14 and P <
0/28 }, but is significant in measures { F (134, 1) = 34/23 and P < 0/001 }.
In order to study whether there is a significant difference between parents' understanding of family Cohesion,
independent T-test was used.
Table 2. Independent T-test to compare mean scores parents' understanding of family Cohesion

variable Mean SD df T sig

Father's understanding 27/62 4/01
of Cohesion 137 5/53 0/001
Mother's understanding 26/50 4/86
of Cohesion
The results show that there is a significant difference between understanding of father and mother family
cohesion. (T= 5/53, P <0/001). The mean score of fathers is higher than mothers.
In order to study whether there is a significant difference in understanding of father family cohesion in different
educational levels (elementary and middle school), independent T-test was used.
Table 3. Independent T-test to compare mean scores pertain to understanding of father family cohesion in different educational levels

group N Mean SD df T sig

Elementary 61 27/59 3/58
136 0/08 0/94
Middel 77 26/64 4/35
The results showed that there is not a significant difference in fathers' understanding of family cohesion in
elementary and middle levels (T = 0/08, P < 0/94).
In order to study whether there is a significant difference in understanding of mother family cohesion in different
educational levels (elementary and middle school), independent T-test was used.
752 Abbas Ali Hosseinkhanzadeh et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 84 (2013) 749 – 753

Table 4. Independent T-test to compare mean scores pertain to understanding of mother family cohesion in different educational levels

group N Mean SD df T sig

Elementary 61 26/02 5/26
136 1/37 0/29
Middel 77 26/90 4/53
The results showed that there is not a significant difference between mothers' understanding of family cohesion in
elementary and middle levels (T = 1/37, P < 0/29).

4. Discussion and conclusion

Family cohesion is a group-level concept, but it must be measured in terms of specific interactions among family
members. We believe that the family exists to meet three types of individual needs in it; social, emotional, and
marital. The interactions between family members are designed to accomplish this goal, and a particular interaction
to can be classified according to one of these three needs that primarily addresses. Thus, the level of family
cohesion, or the particular balance achieved between the two opposing forces is determined by the ways in which a
family goes about meeting the social, emotional, and marital needs of its members.

So, the aim of the present research was to study the Family cohesion in families with mentally retarded children.
Findings of the research showed there is a significant difference between understanding of father and mother`s
family cohesion. The mean score of understanding of father`s

The results were not similar to Jefferson's (2007) researches, because he found out that educated parents have
similar ideas about cohesion. In mothers with lower level of understanding, probably because most of the mothers
were house keepers and spent more time with mental retarded children, so psychological pressure may lead to lower
score.

Findings of the research showed that there is a significant difference between different educational levels in
fathers' and mothers' understanding of family cohesion, and fathers' scores on understanding of family cohesion in
every one of the educational levels are more than mothers' and if educational level increases, both father s' and
mothers' understanding of cohesion will increase ( P =0/001 ). This finding is consistent with the research of
Flaherty and Masters (2000) and McCon keya et al (2006). They found that gender influences understanding of
cohesion, because men and women have become socialized, differently. But the results are different from the
researches of Lucia and Breslau (2006), Wang et al (2006) and Jefferson (2007). They indicated that there is not a
significant difference in mothers' and fathers' understanding of family cohesion and life quality.

To explain the increased understanding of father and mother by increasing in the level of education, it can be said
that family has developed the ability of coping with different situations over the time. But in case of gender, mothers
are not only under more stress because of involving too much with children's problems, but also lack of accompany
and support by father because of traditional beliefs of the family, lead to lower understanding of cohesion.
Generally, it can be said that if needs are identified and meted on time, the family cohesion will be formed correctly
and positively.

In current research we found out that mothers of mental retarded children have lower family cohesion rather than
fathers. Thus, according to mothers' role, it is important to use empowerment methods for them. Although results
 Abbas Ali Hosseinkhanzadeh et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 84 (2013) 749 – 753 753

showed that fathers' understanding of cohesion was high because of being far from developing problems of mental
retarded children, it is necessary to support and them.

Finally, according to the limitations of this study, such as low sample size, it is proposed that firstly, the findings
should be generalized with caution; secondly, broader research should be carried out considering this issue to
increase the possibility of generalizing the results with greater confidence.

Acknowledgements
We appreciate all who helped us in this research.

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