TITLE:
Mothers of Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities: The “Meaning” of Severity Level
AUTHORS:
Osnat Rubin, Michal Schreiber-Divon
KEYWORDS:
Intellectual-Disabilities, Positive-Psychology, Personal-Growth
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.5 No.6,
April
30,
2014
ABSTRACT: In recent years, Positive Psychology has been shedding new light on the field
of research examining the parenting of a child with disabilities. This study aims to provide a bridge
between the “traditional” approach which focuses on the parents’ difficulties and
pathologies, and the breakingthrough PP (Positive Psychology) approach which recognizes
the points of strength and the positive ways of coping. The present study compared
the sense of burden and the sense of personal growth among 106 mothers of adolescents
with intellectual disabilities of varying severity. No differences were found between
the two groups concerning the sense of burden, but among mothers of adolescents
with severe intellectual disabilities, the sense of growth was higher. No differences
were found in terms of the mother’s age, income level, the number of children in
the family, and the age of the child. The theme of “Meaning” offers possible explanations
for these findings.