Mental Disability

This research evaluates and understands self-concept and parent/child relationships in subjects with mild mental disability, as well as the possible association between these variables. To analyze these aspects, a sample of 135 subjects from various social welfare institutions was used. Data were collected using the Portuguese adaptation of the Parent-Child Relations Questionnaire by Bastin and Delrez (1976) carried out by Vaz Serra (1987), the Clinical Self-Concept Inventory constructed by Vaz Serra in 1985, and a Socio-Demographic Questionnaire. The results obtained were greatly influenced by mild mental disability. Thus, significant inverse correlations of low and moderate magnitude were found between some factors in the association between parent/child relationships and self-concept, which are usually unexpected in normal subjects. It was also found that age and gender do not influence parent/child relationships and self-concept. These results pave the way for a better understanding of this issue and consequent intervention, both with subjects with mild mental disabilities and their families.