Correlates of stress, perceived competence, and depression among family care providers.

Correlates of three coping outcomes among individuals providing family care homes for mentally retarded residents were investigated. A sample of 104 home providers completed a set of questionnaires providing information on demographic characteristics, client characteristics, clarity of role expectations, neighbor attitudes, training, and social support. These factors were used to predict stress, perceptions of competence, and depression. Social support was the most powerful predictor of stress and perceptions of competence. Negative neighbor attitudes were associated with both stress and lower self-confidence, whereas the presence of a handicapped person in the home provider's family predicted self-perception of competence. Home provider age was the best predictor of depression.