STRESS, SUPPORT, AND DEAFNESS - PERCEPTIONS OF INFANTS MOTHERS AND FATHERS

Data on parenting stress, life stress, and social support were collect ed from 20 mothers and 16 fathers whose infants' hearing impairments w ere diagnosed very early (mean age = 2.8 months) and from comparable p arents whose infants are hearing (HI group). Parenting stress of mothe rs and fathers whose infants are deaf (DI group) was no greater than t hat of HI parents and comparable to norms for the Parenting Stress Ind ex. Social support was associated with lower levels of parenting stres s for DI mothers and fathers, but not for HI parents. These results he lp to confirm the importance of early diagnosis and intervention for p arents as well as for their children, suggesting that high levels of p arenting stress do not inevitably accompany the diagnosis of disabilit y, that fathers report levels of parenting stress similar to those of mothers, and that both fathers and mothers can benefit from social sup port.