Survey the problems of families with mentally retarded child covered by Guilan Welfare Centers in2010

Introduction: Mental retardation is one of the most complicated, difficult and main problem in children and teenager who suffer growth retardation in physical, psychological, developmental, social and training domains. A mentally retarded child in family can have unsatisfactory effects on family structure and function and can impose physical, mental, social and economic burden on the family. So, to some extent the family loses its current life pattern and it leads to disintegration of family discipline. Objective: This study aims to determine the problems of families with mentally retarded child covered by Guilan Welfare Centers in 2010. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and descriptive study which studied 140 parents of children with mental retardation who are under protection of one of the intellectual disability center affiliated to Guilan welfare center. The instrument used included researcher made questionnaire assessing the problems of families with mentally retarded child. The samples were chosen by survey and entered the study by interview. Data collected were analyzed using chi-square and exact fisher test and SPSS software version 14. Results: Findings showed that 65.7% of samples had economic problems. Also regarding the relationship of economic problems with demographic characteristics, results indicated that families with female retarded child (P<0.01), first born (P<0.04), child with physical illness(P<0.01), with behavior disorder(P<0.0001), mother with psychological illness (P<0.03), family members more than four (P<0.02), income less than 200,000 Tomans/month (P<0.001), no financial support from welfare (P<0.003) and counseling with other than spouse in time of problem (P<0.04) had more economic problems. &nbsp;Conclusion: Since study findings indicate economic problems in majority of cases it seems that in order to decrease their problems more financial support is needed.