Postdiagnosis personal growth in an Australian population of parents raising children with developmental disability

Abstract

Background Parenting a child with a developmental disability presents a variety of long-term physical and emotional challenges. When exploring parent wellbeing, the disability field is dominated by a deficit model despite parents reportedly demonstrating coping and resilience. The current study is embedded in a salutogenic theory (Antonovsky, 1979) and explores the potential for parents of children diagnosed with a developmental disability to undergo positive changes.

Method Participants were 6 fathers and 27 mothers who completed measures of distress and posttraumatic growth.

Results Compared with a number of other Australian samples, participants reported significantly higher levels of posttraumatic growth. Reports of growth did not negate reports of distress. Results also indicated that constructs of distress and growth were independent.

Conclusions The research has important implications for disability support services, reminding providers to be cognisant of the potential for growth, as well as distress, thereby permitting an atmosphere conducive to exploring such outcomes.

Keywords:

• posttraumatic growth
• parents
• child disability
• developmental disability
• salutogenesis