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The mentally handicapped child and family crisis
Insights
Caring for a child with a mental handicap disrupts family life, causing initial crisis and denial. However, most parents adapt, and grandparents and siblings often show more positive reactions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Family Studies
- Developmental Disabilities
Background:
- Family dynamics are significantly impacted by the presence of a mentally handicapped child.
- Understanding family member reactions is crucial for support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the defensive reactions and attitudes of family members towards a mentally handicapped child.
- To observe the family's overall response to a member's dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Study of 30 families with a mentally handicapped child.
- Examination of attitudes of parents, grandparents, and siblings.
Main Results:
- The birth of a child with a mental handicap triggers a family crisis.
- Parental reactions initially involved denial, with adaptation occurring in nearly 80%.
- Siblings and grandparents displayed significantly more positive reactions compared to parents.
Conclusions:
- Families undergo a crisis and adaptation process when a member has a mental handicap.
- Family members' roles influence their reactions and adaptation strategies.
- Support interventions should consider the varying responses among parents, siblings, and grandparents.
Abstract:
The defences of family members were studied in order to observe the reactions of the family when faced with a dysfunction in one of its members. Thirty families with a mentally handicapped child were studied, and the attitudes of parents, grandparents and siblings towards the handicapped child were examined. The data showed that the birth of a mentally handicapped child interrupts the normal life-cycle of the family, leading to a crisis. The first reaction in the parents was most often found to be denial, but ultimately adaptation was demonstrated in nearly 80% of the parents. Many of the siblings' and grandparents' reactions differed significantly from those of the parents, being more positive than those of the latter.