COGNITIVE COPING, AFFECTIVE DISTRESS, AND MATERNAL SENSITIVITY - MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH DOWN-SYNDROME

This study investigated relations among maternal cognitive coping style (approach-avoidance), affective state, and sensitivity. Fifty-six mothers and their children with Down syndrome were followed for 2 years. Cognitive coping and affective distress inventories were administered and sensitivity was rated on the basis of mother-child observations. Results indicated that approach and avoidance have been widely studied under different designations and are stable across time. These cognitive coping variables may mediate the stress of parenting a child with a disability in complex ways. Mothers with a strong tendency to monitor stressors report greater affective distress than do mothers who adopt a less vigilant coping style. At the same time, cognitive avoidance of stressors and affective distress reduce the behavioral sensitivity of the mother toward her child.