Parental Perspectives on Strengths, Difficulties, and the Coping Strategies among Children with Psychiatric Disorders vs Normally Developing Children: A Comparative Study from the Tertiary Health Care Center

Background: Childhood and adolescence are critical periods for emotional, behavioral, and social development.Disruptions in developmental milestones may lead to psychiatric disorders, adversely affecting both the child and the family.Understanding child difficulties and parental coping is essential for early identification and intervention.Objective: To assess and compare the strengths and difficulties of children with normal development and those with psychiatric disorders, and to evaluate the coping strategies employed by their parents.Methodology: A comparative quantitative study was conducted with purposive sampling, including parents of normal children (PNC, n = 20) and parents of children with psychiatric disorders (PCPD, n = 20).Data were collected using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Coping Health Inventory for Parents (CHIP).Descriptive and inferential statistics, including t-tests, Chi-square tests, and Pearson correlation coefficients, were analyzed using SPSS v25.Results: Children with psychiatric disorders exhibited significantly higher total difficulties (15.20 2.11) compared to normal children (10.95 3.48, p < 0.001).Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire categorization revealed that 55% of PCPD children had raised difficulties and 30% had great difficulties, whereas 70% of normal children had average difficulties.Parental coping scores were higher among PCPD parents (98.10 0.00) than PNC parents (96.40 0.00, p < 0.001), indicating greater utilization of coping strategies.Pearson correlation demonstrated a negative, though non-significant, relationship between child difficulties and parental coping in both groups (PNC: r = -0.30;PCPD: r = -0.33). Conclusion:Children with psychiatric disorders present with significantly more behavioral and emotional difficulties compared to their normally developing peers.Parents of affected children demonstrate higher engagement in coping strategies, highlighting the importance of targeted support and interventions to optimize child and family outcomes.