FAMILY INTERVIEW FOR STRESS AND COPING IN MENTAL RETARDATION (FISC-MR) : A TOOL TO STUDY STRESS AND COPING IN FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH MENTAL RETARDATION

Stress and coping in the families caring for their member with mental retardation has recently received worldwide research attention. There is no comprehensive instrument to study these issues in India. This study reports on development and standardization of a new instrument to fill this lacuna. Family Interview for Stress and Coping in Mental Retardation (FISC - MR), a semi-structured interview schedule, was developed as a part of two years prospective study of efficacy of brief family intervention for 157 children with mental retardation (funded by ICMR). The tool consists of 2 sections - one measuring stress (daily care, emotional, social and financial) and the other measuring mediators of stress or coping strategies (awareness, attitudes, expectations, rearing practices and social support). Results indicate moderate to high reliability (internal consistency, inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability) and validity (factorial, criterion and construct) of the instrument. It is concluded that FISC -MR is a useful, reliable and valid instrument for both clinical and research purposes.