Partner support and maternal stress in families raising young children with cerebral palsy

Partner support and its relation to maternal stress was examined in familie s raising children with cerebral palsy (CP). Subjects were 59 Caucasian and 5 African American families raising 41 boys and 23 girls (8-54 months old) with mild or server CP, or nonimpaired controls. Parents were interviewed; mothers completed the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form and Dunst Social S upport Scales Partners raising children with severe CP provided more primar y care in the evening and were credited by mothers as being more supportive overall Ii-inn partners in moderate CP and comparison groups. No relation was found between material stress and partner support; child's level of imp airment and the interaction between partner support and child impairment we re significant predictors of material stress. Findings suggest a systems-or iented examination of partner support ill which families differ with respec t to specific functions while exhibiting overall organizational similaritie s.