Abstract: Objective To explore the relationship between family environmental and psychological status of mothers of children with mental retardation (MR). Methods 263 urban mothers whose children aged 7～12 years were surveyed with Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90), the Family Environment Scale-Chinese Version (FES-CV).and Questionnaire for demography.(Designed by author). The same number control group were selected from primary schools and 1:1 matched to observed group by chiliren's characteristics (age, gender),maternal characteristics (marriage, educated level, age) and family economic condition. Results SCL-90 factors scores except photic anxiety factor of observed group were significantly higher than that of control group (P<0.01), and the somatization, depression, anxiety, hostility, photic anxiety and psychoticism scores all were significantly higher than norm statistically (P<0.01). 8 factors of FES-CV scores of family of children with MR were lower than that of control group, which were cohesion, expressiveness, achievement orientation, intellectual-cultural orientation, active-recreational orientation, moral-religious emphasis, organization, control, but conflict score was higher than control (P<0.05). The SCL-90 factors of mothers of MR children were correlated with cohesion, expressiveness, conflict, active-recreational orientation, organization of FES-CV and partially correlated with intellectual-cultural orientation. Conclusion The psychological problems of MR children's mother are getting more outstanding and correlated with their family environment. The family support systems of MR children maybe poor.

Key words: mental retardation (MR), child, mother, psychology, family environment