Awhi is still in development, we'd love your feedback and suggestions. Let us know.
Self-care in caregivers of children with FASD: How do caregivers care for themselves, and what are the benefits and obstacles for doing so?
Carson Kautz
Summary
Background Caregivers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have elevated levels of stress, which can negatively impact family functioning and caregivers' mental and physical health. Self-care is a critical resource to address caregivers' stress. Aims This study describes strategies and obstacles related to self-care reported by caregivers of children with FASD. It also examines how caregivers' perceived confidence in and frequency of self-care is related to stress, parenting attitudes, and family needs. Methods & procedures Forty-six caregivers of children with FASD identified self-care strategies and obstacles and rated their confidence and frequency of self-care. Additional measures of perceived parenting efficacy, stress, family needs, child behavior, and family demographics were administered. Correlation analyses examined associations between self-care and measures of child and family functioning. Results Self-care strategies and obstacles were varied. Greater reported confidence in self-care was associated with less parental distress and more satisfaction in the parenting role. Frequency of self-care was positively associated with confidence in self-care but not with any other measure of family functioning. Conclusions Caregivers use a variety of strategies and face significant obstacles in self-care. Confidence in self-care may be associated with lower stress and greater satisfaction in the parenting role.
Was this resource helpful to you?
Related articles
![Awhi footer background image.](/_next/image?url=%2F_next%2Fstatic%2Fmedia%2Ffooter-bg.f0e9e982.png&w=3840&q=75)
The Awhi Ngā Mātua team would like to thank Takai, the IHC Foundation and the Dines Family Charitable Trust for their generous contributions to our work. A huge thank you also to the IHC Programmes team, in particular the IHC Library which has worked so hard to make their remarkable collection available to us.