Movement for Mental Health

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How to move forward when you are feeling overwhelmed

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For Parents

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A LOOK UK, VICTA and RSBC panel

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Fear and worry for our children’s future, for their rights and for their wellbeing, often leave parent carers physically and mentally exhausted.

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Parent carers often feel overwhelmed or stuck, unable to move forward within the systems they are trying to navigate, that are supposed to help their blind or partially sighted children.

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We will begin by looking at the research into this very real issue before panel members share their experience and guidance on ways to move through these challenges and how looking after yourself as a parent carer, is paramount in this process.

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70% of parents of disabled children suffering parenting stress

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Anxiety and tension

Feelings of ‘I can’t cope’

Demands being placed on the parent are too high and not enough resources to meet them

That stress is attributed to issues including inadequate support and long-term care strain…

lack of social support

2022 Study

Parenting Stress among VI children

Rani, P., & Singh, C. (2022). Parenting stress among parents of visually impaired children and speech and hearing-impaired children. The Pharma Innovation Journal, 1476–1478.

Chronic conditions, activity limitations, general health symptoms

depressive symptoms, social support and family functioning

More than twice as likely to report chronic conditions, activity limitations,

Significantly more likely to report depressive symptoms and poorer general health

additional demands on caregiver for a disabled child

Lack of support form family or friends has a significant impact on parent carer health

2009 Study

Physical and Emotional health of parent carers

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Jamie C. BrehautPhD, Dafna E. KohenPhD, Rochelle E. GarnerPhD, Anton R. MillerMB, ChB, FRCPC, Lucyna M. LachPhD, MSW, Anne F. KlassenDPhil, and Peter L. RosenbaumMD. (2009). Health Among Caregivers of Children With Health Problems: Findings From a Canadian Population-Based Study. American Journal of Public Health

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• Support from friends or family – support not there / hard to ask / should be able to manage / don’t want to be a burden

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• No time
• Deadlines to meet / endless lists of what we need to get done
• Fear of not having done enough- no stone unturned
• Too exhausted after the day

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• No privacy
• Feeling guilty – can’t take care / judged for not coping / having time for self or with other loved ones
• Feelings surfacing when there is nothing to do – feelings of overwhelm / hopelessness / utter exhaustion
• Relaxing - don't know how to anymore / not sure what will help

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• The frustration and anger when there is no certainty about your child’s future
• Doing things for yourself can also be challenging for the rest of the family (when this is a change)

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Barriers to parent carers looking after themselves

Researcher from the university of Exeter and parent cares developed the HPC programme in response to research over the years that parent carers of disabled children tend to have poorer mental and physical health than other parents.

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Many organisations recognise this very real disparity in parent carer need and the detrimental impact on mental and physical health. Support is out there to help! Please reach out.

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Video:

https://vimeo.com/376771910

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https://healthyparentcarers.org/

Healthy Parent Carers