Who benefits most from respite care?

This study examines the effect of five measures of utilization of respite care services (desire to use respite care services, actual use, accessibility, scheduling and helpfulness) upon mothers’ coping resources. Using the analysis of variance between utilization measures and coping resources with the following intervening variables as covariates - mothers’ self-esteem, family cohesion and adaptation, and clients’ and mothers’ characteristics - it was found that respite care acts as a differential service that can enhance coping resources (i. e., stress reduction skills) and is of most benefit to high self-esteem mothers of young developmentally disabled children. A home-based model was found to be the most beneficial to mothers in terms of enhanced coping resources. Findings are interpreted with respect to their implications for research, program model, planning and intervention.