Enrichment and stress in families caring for a child with a serious emotional disorder

We examined enrichment and stress in 214 families who had children with severe emotional disorders. Caregivers' ratings of enrichment and stress were obtained through a newly developed instrument, the Effects of the Situation Questionnaire, which used parallel items covering 17 life areas. While ratings of stress were generally higher than enrichment, caregivers reported some enrichment in areas encompassing self concept and family relationships. Bivariate and multivariate analyses using various child, family, and service-system variables revealed that stress was notably associated with severity of the child's disorder, low empowerment, and a lack of coordination among service providers. Enrichment was unrelated to severity but associated with high empowerment and spiritual support. Our findings suggest that families' experiences of caregiving can have both positive and negative aspects and that a comprehensive approach to serving and studying families should take both into account. © 1998 Human Sciences Press, Inc.