Respite Care, Stress, Uplifts, and Marital Quality in Parents of Children with Down Syndrome

Parents of children with disabilities are at risk for high stress and low marital quality; therefore, this study surveyed couples ( n = 112) of children with Down syndrome ( n = 120), assessing whether respite hours, stress, and uplifts were related to marital quality. Structural equation modeling indicated that respite hours were negatively related to wife/husband stress, which was in turn negatively related to wife/husband marital quality. Also, wife uplifts were positively related to both wife and husband marital quality. Husband uplifts were positively related to husband marital quality. Therefore, it is important that respite care is provided and accessible to parents of children with Down syndrome.