Parenting Style and Mental Health of Parents Raising Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Ghana

Parenting style adopted by parents is believed to impact parental well-being and development of children including those with intellectual disabilities. While there is large body of literature on parenting style adopted by parents raising children with intellectual disabilities, especially in the western context, limited attempt has been made to understand parental styles and their relationships with the mental health of parents. In this study, a total of 200 parents raising children with intellectual disabilities completed the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale (DASS-21) and the Financial Stress Scale. The instrument was subjected to correlations and hierarchical multiple regressions. The results showed contribution of mental health in the variance in parenting style. For instance, general stress, anxiety and financial stress made significant contribution in the variance in authoritarian parenting style. Also, general stress, anxiety and financial stress made significant contribution in the variance in authoritative parenting style. Additionally, a relationship was found between permissive parenting, depression, general stress and financial stress. The study concludes with a recommendation for targeted parenting and mental health training for parents raising children with intellectual disabilities in Ghana.