Determination of stress coping strategies for parents with a cleft palate or cleft lip

Abstract

Aim: This research was conducted to determine the coping strategies developed by parents who have a child with a cleft palate or cleft lip against the stress they experience. Methods: The research was descriptive and was conducted online between the dates of June 2020-July 2021. The data were collected using the "Coping Strategies Scale" and the personal information questionnaire prepared by the researcher, using the Google Form, and 296 people were reached. While collecting the data, no sample selection was made, and all the parents in the social media groups were tried to be reached, only the volunteers answered the questionnaire and the scale. Independent sample t test, ANOVA, pearson correlation analysis tests were used in the analysis of the data. Results: The mean score of the social support sub-dimension of the scale was 23.22 ± 4.62, the mean score of the problem-solving sub-dimension was 29.64 ± 3.42, and the mean score of the avoidance sub-dimension was 21.23 ± 4.17. Education level and working status of the parents participating in the study were found to be significant in terms of problem-solving coping strategy. It was observed that the parents who were related to their spouses used more social support seeking strategies with an average of 24.50±3.51 subscale scores. It was determined that as the number of children increased, the use of coping strategies decreased and the use of drugs during pregnancy increased the use of avoidance coping strategies. Conclusions: It was determined that parents with a child with a cleft palate lip develop different coping strategies in the face of the stress they experience, and while they develop these strategies, they are affected by different factors related to education level, parent's employment status, family income level, number of children in the family, kinship between parents and pregnancy process.