Caregiver burden and mental health: Parent perspectives when raising a child with developmental coordination disorder.
One third of DCD parents rate their mental health as poor and most fear for their child’s mental health—screen and refer families early.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Klein et al. (2024) asked 237 parents raising a child with developmental coordination disorder in British Columbia about their stress and worries.
The team used an online survey. Parents rated their own mental health and their child’s mental health.
What they found
One in three parents said their own mental health was fair or poor.
Nine out of ten parents worried about their child’s mental health. Many said they get too little help.
How this fits with other research
Adams et al. (2021) looked at 32 studies and found the same pattern for moms of kids with intellectual disability. The numbers line up: caregiver burden is high across developmental delays.
Faso et al. (2016) showed half of DD caregivers live in poverty. When money is tight, stress grows. The BC parents echoed this: lack of support fuels strain.
Scheithauer et al. (2025) add a new layer. In their small case series, severe behavior caused physical harm and crisis calls. S et al. did not count bruises or 911 calls, yet both papers point to the same need—watch for danger signs and act fast.
Why it matters
If you serve a child with DCD, ask the parents how they are doing. A quick mood check takes one minute. When parents say they are barely coping, link them to respite, counseling, or parent groups. Lowering caregiver stress helps the whole family and keeps therapy gains on track.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) are at high risk for mental health disorders, stemming from challenges participating in motor activities. Parents of children with DCD report increased caregiver burden exacerbated by insufficient support and services for their child. A paucity of literature exists on parent and child mental health associated with a DCD diagnosis. AIMS: To explore parent perceptions of their child's mental health, and the impact of DCD on family and parental mental health. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Implementation of a secondary analysis using the impACT for DCD, a cross-sectional online survey of parents of children with self-reported suspected or confirmed diagnosis of DCD living in British Columbia, Canada. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics and content analysis. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Of the 237 participants, more than one third of parents (36%) rated their own mental health to be fair or poor, and the majority (90%) expressed concern for their child's mental health. Themes emerged on the impact of DCD on child, parent, and family, influenced by access to resources. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Standard of care for DCD needs to include services and supports that address caregiver burden and mental health of children with DCD and their families. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: This paper explores parent perceptions of their child(ren)'s and their own mental health when raising a child with DCD in British Columbia (BC). In BC, there is a lack of research on the mental health challenges families face when their child has a diagnosis of DCD. Amongst health care providers, there tends to be a focus on DCD as a motor disorder, with limited understanding and acknowledgement of the mental health component for children and their families. Thus, this study will inform health-care providers, parents, educators, and policy makers on parent-identified mental health needs and the essential services and supports. Unique to this study was the inclusion of a descriptive and exploratory content analysis, providing a holistic understanding of parents' perceptions regarding the impact of DCD on their children and themselves. Our results revealed that parents perceive significant inter-connected impacts of DCD on the child, parents, and family, leading to poor mental health for parents and their child(ren). Limited access to resources and supports results in a negative trajectory for family mental health and well-being. Study results indicate the critical importance of addressing mental health, in addition to motor challenges. Healthcare providers need to adopt a family-centred approach to address the physical and psychosocial impairments associated with DCD, ensuring positive outcomes for children and their families.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2024 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104656