| Abstract: | The impact a physically disabled child has on the family, particularly the impact of the child on the mother's burden, is a relatively unexplored area of study in the literature. The purpose of the present study was to identify which factors are significantly associated with the burden perceived by mothers of a disabled child. Seventy-four mothers who had a child with a physical disability, living in Québec, Canada, completed four self-administered questionnaires which examined certain characteristics of the mother, the child and the environment in relation to burden. The statistical analysis of the data revealed four predictors of burden in mothers of a physically disabled child: the amount of time the mother spent on caregiving, the secondary health problems of the child, the number of years of marriage and the mother's use of specific coping strategies. The findings are discussed in terms of their clinical implications for occupational therapists and recommendations for future studies are proposed. |
