[Coping strategies of mothers and fathers with a first- or second-born mentally handicapped child].

In 25 families with two children and one child with mental retardation, differences in coping between mothers and fathers were studied, taking into consideration the ordinal position of the handicapped child. Mothers showed more emotional stress, more self-criticism, searched more for social support and experienced more "up and down" in the process of adaptation. If the first child was handicapped mothers coped more by "mastery" than mothers of a second born handicapped child and more by "expression" than fathers.