THE PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL STATE OF PARENTS AND BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH FAMILIES RAISING TYPICALLY DEVELOPING CHILDREN

Abstract

The article presents the results of a comprehensive empirical study of the psychoemotional state of parents and the adaptive–behavioral characteristics of children with Down syndrome under wartime conditions, with a comparative analysis of families raising children with typical development. The relevance of the study is determined by the increased psychoemotional burden on families caused by the prolonged impact of war-related stressors, as well as by the insufficient number of domestic studies that integrate the analysis of parents’ psychological state and children’s behavioral characteristics within a single empirical design.

The study was conducted in July–September 2024 in an online format and involved 70 parents of children with Down syndrome and 86 parents of children with typical development from various regions of Ukraine. Parents’ psychoemotional state was assessed using the standardized questionnaires GAD-7 and PHQ-9, while children’s adaptive–behavioral characteristics were examined using the ABCID methodology. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and Student’s t-test (p < 0.05).

The results showed that parents of children with Down syndrome had a statistically significantly higher level of depressive symptoms (PHQ-9: mean = 10.06) compared to parents of children with typical development (mean = 6.60; p < 0.05), as well as a tendency toward greater emotional tension in terms of anxiety indicators (GAD-7: mean = 5.87 and 5.41, respectively). Based on parental assessments, statistically significant differences were identified in the adaptive–behavioral profile of children with Down syndrome, including lower levels of communication (mean = 8.40 vs. 10.43), daily living adaptation (mean = 6.90 vs. 10.90), community adaptation (mean = 2.23 vs. 5.17), social adaptation (mean = 6.47 vs. 10.93), and overall adaptation (mean = 24.00 vs. 37.44; p < 0.05). At the same time, children with Down syndrome demonstrated higher levels of asthenia (mean = 4.77 vs. 2.05), somatization (mean = 2.17 vs. 0.74), psychoticism (mean = 1.20 vs. 0.36), and neuroticization (mean = 21.93 vs. 9.96; p < 0.05). No statistically significant intergroup differences were found on the scales of obsessive–compulsive symptoms, depression, or demonstrative behavior.

The obtained results allow the psychoemotional state of parents to be considered an important contextual factor in children’s adaptive behavior. Elevated levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms in parents may be associated with reduced family support resources and a less favorable emotional climate, which, in turn, is linked to lower adaptive functioning and higher emotional–behavioral tension in children. In families raising children with Down syndrome, this relationship appears to be more pronounced due to additional chronic stress, whereas families of children with typical development demonstrate more stable compensatory resources. The findings highlight the need to develop comprehensive, family-oriented psychological support programs aimed at simultaneously supporting parents and enhancing children’s adaptive resources under conditions of prolonged social instability.