Post-traumatic growth in mothers of children with autism: A phenomenological study

While the adverse effects of raising a child with autism are well demonstrated, there have been few reports of the post-traumatic growth of mothers of children with autism. The purpose of this research was to explore dimensions of post-traumatic growth in this population in Mainland China and identi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Autism : the international journal of research and practice 2015-01, Vol.19 (1), p.29-37
Main Authors: Zhang, Wei, Yan, Ting Ting, Barriball, K Louise, While, Alison E, Liu, Xiao Hong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Asian Culture
Autism
Autistic Disorder
Child
Child Rearing
Child, Preschool
Children
China
China (Shanghai)
Coping
Disabilities
Female
Foreign Countries
Humans
Interrater Reliability
Male
Mothers
Mothers - psychology
Peer Group
Phenomenology
Philosophy
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Preschool Children
Rehabilitation Programs
Self Efficacy
Semi Structured Interviews
Social Support
Social Support Groups
Spiritual Development
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Summary:While the adverse effects of raising a child with autism are well demonstrated, there have been few reports of the post-traumatic growth of mothers of children with autism. The purpose of this research was to explore dimensions of post-traumatic growth in this population in Mainland China and identify the factors facilitating post-traumatic growth. A total of 11 mothers of pre-school children were recruited from five rehabilitation centres of children with disabilities in Shanghai. The semi-structured interviews were conducted between August 2012 and October 2012 and analysed using thematic analysis. The data partially confirmed Tedeschi and Calhoun’s model of post-traumatic growth. A new philosophy of life, appreciation of life, relating to others, personal strength and spiritual change were five domains of post-traumatic growth in mothers of children with autism. Perceived social support, peer example, effective coping style and self-efficacy enhancement were facilitating factors of post-traumatic growth. Further studies are needed to understand how to promote the post-traumatic growth of mothers of children with autism.
ISSN:1362-3613
1461-7005
DOI:10.1177/1362361313509732