UNDERSTANDING COPING STRATEGIES OF MALAYSIAN PARENTS DURING CHILD PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION

Abstract

Caring for children with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) is associated with elevated stress levels among parents. However, there is little knowledge of how parents cope during participation in their child’s psychotherapeutic intervention for EBD. The current study explored the coping strategies adopted by the parents during their contact with their child's mental health services by using a transcendental phenomenological design. Seidman's three-interview series collected detailed data from seven parents (six mothers and one father) in the Malaysian peninsula. The Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method was used to analyse data collected from individual interviews. Four main strategies were identified from the study: emotion-focused coping, information-based coping, social support, and spirituality-based coping. Additionally, information-based coping included two sub-strategies: (a) means for informed decision-making and (b) access to mental health information. Mental health professionals need to incorporate clinical strategies that could help parents cope better during this challenging time.