This study brings to light the importance of including the family and the person with a TBI in the care process by calling for their participation and by setting up suitable structures that prioritize a meaningful partnership among the key individuals.
The birth of a child is a transitional situation that triggers stress in the family and each person has to use adjustment strategies allowing them to reposition gradually in relation to themselves and other members of the family, and to make space for the new arrival. When the child has a health problem, the stress on the parents is correspondingly greater. Research shows that fathers and mothers of a child with a health problem experience this ordeal differently. This article reports on the current state of knowledge about the experience of fathers and mothers of a child with a health problem, and suggests new directions for research to provide a fuller understanding of their experience.
This qualitative study explored the adaptation/transformation process in mothers and fathers at the individual, parental, marital and extrafamilial levels, and the similarities and differences in their experience of living with a child with cerebral palsy. Interviews were conducted with 13 mothers and 13 fathers of children with cerebral palsy. The results show that mothers and fathers are more likely to view the situation differently than similarly. For both parents, the situation offers the potential for transformation. Complementarity between mothers and fathers is an important factor in each of the adaptation or transformation subsystems. Both parents embark on a journey that changes their beliefs about difference, apply their new knowledge to every aspect of their life, and endeavour to normalize their situation.
In conclusion, the pertinence of this study lies in the desire of close ones and health professionals to ease the adaptation process imposed by a TBI, and to promote the well-being of informal caregivers.
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