The main objectives of the study aim to identify if there are significant differences between the two categories of parents regarding anxiety and depression, and if there is a significant statistical correlation between the two personality traits. | Anxiety and depression in parents of disabled children Technium Social Sciences Journal Vol. 3 141-150 February 2020 ISSN 2668-7798 Anxiety and depression in parents of disabled children Sălceanu Claudia Ovidius University of Constanta Romania claudiasalceanu@ Sandu Mihaela Luminița Ovidius University of Constanta Romania mihaela_naidin@ Abstract. Having a disabled child can add new challenges for parents and can affect in different ways the entire family and its way of life. Two of the most frequent consequences of having to take care of a disabled child are anxiety and depression. A sample of 30 adults 15 parents with disabled children and 15 parents with normal children has been assessed with Beck Depression Inventory and with Cattell s Anxiety Questionnaire. The main objectives of the study aim to identify if there are significant differences between the two categories of parents regarding anxiety and depression and if there is a significant statistical correlation between the two personality traits. The results show higher anxiety and depression levels for parents of disabled children and a significant correlation between the two traits. The practical implications of the study are discussed in the end. Keywords. Anxiety depression parents disabled children Introduction Bringing up a child is hard enough for any family but for the parent of a disabled child worries about their future can be overwhelming especially because these parents often lack the financial and professional support necessary. Things like the fact that they are not alone that they deserve to be cared for that they have to make time to enjoy their children even though they are disabled that they have to sometimes make hard decisions that they need to forgive themselves that they have to keep their sense of humor that they have to celebrate little accomplishments that they have to make time for their own marriage and not succumb to worries towards .
