How parents' stress, attributions and mental health relate to their reactions to their child's disability

The Reaction to Diagnosis Interview (RDI) assesses parental resolution of grief regarding their child's disability. Parental resolution is an important predictor of child attachment security and other aspects of family functioning. However, research has not identified consistent predictors of parental resolution. This study sought to improve understanding of the RDI by searching for parental factors that contribute to resolution. Three new scales were developed to further examine the RDI: emotional distress, defensiveness, and incoherence. They were compared with mothers' self-reported psychosocial functioning. As predicted, mothers who reported poorer psychosocial functioning appeared more distressed and incoherent during the RDI. The defensiveness scale was not evaluated because of poor reliability. Potential explanations for difficulties in measuring defensiveness are discussed. The interaction between emotional distress and incoherence on the RDI significantly predicted parental resolution. It is suggested that interventions be developed for parents experiencing difficulties coping with their child's disability.