Family Routines and Parenting Stress in Families of Children With and Without Intellectual Disabilities: A Cross-Sectional Study.
- 1Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
- 2Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
Abstract
Background: Families of children with intellectual disabilities often experience increased caregiving demands that may contribute to elevated parenting stress. Family routines represent an important aspect of everyday family organization and may support adaptation by providing structure, predictability, and continuity. However, the role of family routines in relation to parenting stress among families of children with intellectual disabilities remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine parenting stress, the frequency and perceived importance of family routines in families of children with and without intellectual disabilities, and the associations between family routines and parenting stress. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among parents of children with intellectual disabilities and parents of typically developing children. Family routines were assessed using the Family Time and Routines Index (FTRI), and parenting stress was assessed using the Parental Stress Scale (PSS). Group differences were examined using appropriate nonparametric and categorical-data tests, while associations between parenting stress and family routines were examined using Spearman rank-order correlations separately by study group. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted in the pooled sample to examine the incremental contribution of family routines to parenting stress beyond study group and selected sociodemographic and family characteristics. Group routine interaction terms were additionally tested to examine whether these associations differed between the TD and ID groups. Results: Parents of children with intellectual disabilities reported significantly higher levels of parenting stress compared with parents of typically developing children. Significant differences were observed in the frequency of family routines, with parents of typically developing children reporting more frequent routines across assessed domains. Higher frequency of family routines was significantly associated with lower levels of parenting stress in both groups. In the pooled regression analysis, family routine frequency and perceived importance together explained an additional 6.6% of the variance in parenting stress beyond study group and selected sociodemographic and family characteristics. In the final model, greater family routine frequency was independently associated with lower parenting stress, whereas perceived importance did not make a significant independent contribution. No significant group × routine interactions were observed. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the regular organization of family routines represents an important aspect of family functioning associated with parental well-being. Supporting families in establishing and maintaining adaptive routines may represent a valuable component of family-centered interventions for reducing parenting stress and strengthening everyday family functioning, particularly among families of children with intellectual disabilities. Longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to further clarify the role of family routines in supporting family adaptation.
Related
- Burnout among French healthcare workers caring for individuals with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities/polyhandicap: a complementary cross-sectional and longitudinal study
- Psychologists' knowledge, attitudes, and training experiences regarding mental illness in individuals with intellectual disabilities in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.
- E-PAtS trial: a protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial of Early Positive Approaches to Support (E-PAtS) for families of young children with intellectual disabilities
- Care trajectories in children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities/polyhandicap: a cross-sectional study of the French National Cohort
- Psychological therapy for children and young people with a diagnosis of autism or intellectual disabilities in mainstream child and adolescent mental health services: a cross-sectional survey of clinicians’ perspectives in England
BibTeX
@article{milankov2026family,
title = {{Family Routines and Parenting Stress in Families of Children With and Without Intellectual Disabilities: A Cross-Sectional Study.}},
author = {Vesela Milankov and Jelena Radonjić and Tatjana Krstić and Jovana Uzelac and Sandra Glamočak and Ivana Matić and Špela Golubović},
journal = {Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/healthcare14193153},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42881592},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Family Routines and Parenting Stress in Families of Children With and Without Intellectual Disabilities: A Cross-Sectional Study.
AU - Vesela Milankov
AU - Jelena Radonjić
AU - Tatjana Krstić
AU - Jovana Uzelac
AU - Sandra Glamočak
AU - Ivana Matić
AU - Špela Golubović
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/23
JO - Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/healthcare14193153
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42881592
AB - Background: Families of children with intellectual disabilities often experience increased caregiving demands that may contribute to elevated parenting stress. Family routines represent an important aspect of everyday family organization and may support adaptation by providing structure, predictability, and continuity. However, the role of family routines in relation to parenting stress among families of children with intellectual disabilities remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine parenting stress, the frequency and perceived importance of family routines in families of children with and without intellectual disabilities, and the associations between family routines and parenting stress. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among parents of children with intellectual disabilities and parents of typically developing children. Family routines were assessed using the Family Time and Routines Index (FTRI), and parenting stress was assessed using the Parental Stress Scale (PSS). Group differences were examined using appropriate nonparametric and categorical-data tests, while associations between parenting stress and family routines were examined using Spearman rank-order correlations separately by study group. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted in the pooled sample to examine the incremental contribution of family routines to parenting stress beyond study group and selected sociodemographic and family characteristics. Group routine interaction terms were additionally tested to examine whether these associations differed between the TD and ID groups. Results: Parents of children with intellectual disabilities reported significantly higher levels of parenting stress compared with parents of typically developing children. Significant differences were observed in the frequency of family routines, with parents of typically developing children reporting more frequent routines across assessed domains. Higher frequency of family routines was significantly associated with lower levels of parenting stress in both groups. In the pooled regression analysis, family routine frequency and perceived importance together explained an additional 6.6% of the variance in parenting stress beyond study group and selected sociodemographic and family characteristics. In the final model, greater family routine frequency was independently associated with lower parenting stress, whereas perceived importance did not make a significant independent contribution. No significant group × routine interactions were observed. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the regular organization of family routines represents an important aspect of family functioning associated with parental well-being. Supporting families in establishing and maintaining adaptive routines may represent a valuable component of family-centered interventions for reducing parenting stress and strengthening everyday family functioning, particularly among families of children with intellectual disabilities. Longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to further clarify the role of family routines in supporting family adaptation.
SN - 2227-9032
ER -