Perceived Parenting Styles Fail to Mediate Between Anxiety and Attachment Styles in Adult Siblings of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

Exploring information needs among family caregivers of children with intellectual disability in a rural area of South Africa: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Globally, families experience challenges caring for and raising children with intellectual disability (ID). Family caregivers in rural states are mostly known for lacking support resources, including information on understanding the care of ID. Lack of adequate information on understanding of ID compromises the provision of life-long care and support of the children with ID's physical, emotional, psychological and social developmental well-being. The study aimed to explore the information needs of family caregivers regarding the care of children with ID in rural areas of Limpopo Province, South Africa.

METHODS

This qualitative explorative research conducted 16 in-depth individual interviews and one focus group discussion with ten family members. The participants shared their experiences of raising children with ID in rural communities. Inductive thematic analysis using Atlas Ti software categorised emerging themes and subthemes of this study from merged data sets on information needs regarding the care of children with ID among family caregivers.

RESULTS

The findings highlighted the need for information regarding ID care among family caregivers raising children with ID in the home environment. The information challenges experienced by family caregivers include caring for the challenging behaviour of children with ID and available support resources and services for the children and their families. These challenges impact the care and support required to meet the developmental needs of children with ID. Furthermore, inadequate information on ID among family caregivers in rural communities with a lack of resources restricts the children from accessing required support services.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the information challenges these families face on ID, the stakeholders must develop continuous training programmes that will equip, empower, and further monitor ID care and management among family caregivers to enhance care and the raising of children with dignity.

Perceived Social Support, Normalization, and Subjective Well-Being Among Family Members of a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The experience of family members of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not uniform. This study focused on mothers of a child with ASD (Study 1) and typically developing siblings (TDSs) during their emerging adulthood (Study 2). Similarities and differences were explored regarding a proposed model examining the paths of perceived social support (PSS) and normalization (a coping strategy) with subjective well-being: satisfaction with life (SWL) and positive affect (PA). Similarities were found in the paths between PSS, normalization, and SWL, in mothers and TDSs, but differences emerged regarding PA. These findings highlight the importance of PSS as a resource that contributes to normalization and SWL. Professional awareness of family members' PSS and their engagement in normalization is needed.

Seeing the siblings: Gender differences in emerging-adult siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND

The present study focused on typically developing siblings (TDS) in emerging adulthood of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and sought insight into how gender may interact with positive and negative affects in this population. In addition, we aimed to explore the gender differences as a moderator in the link between personal resources (i.e., family cohesion and flexibility coping strategy) and positive and negative affects among such TDS. An understanding of gender differences in this population should prove relevant to the development of potential interventions.

METHOD

A total of 116 emerging adult (age 18-29) TDS of younger siblings with ASD (the latter were under the age of 18 at the time of data collection), 80 females and 36 males, participated in the study. All participants completed self-report measures.

RESULTS

Female TDS reported higher negative affect than male TDS, while no differences emerged regarding positive affect. Female siblings reported higher family cohesion and higher flexibility in the forward-focused subscale of flexibility coping strategy, but not in its trauma-focused subscale, compared to male siblings. Additionally, gender moderates the links between family cohesion and positive affect but not negative affect. Gender also moderates the association between flexibility and negative affect, but not positive affect.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the gender differences among TDS in emerging adulthood of individuals with ASD in relation to negative affect, family cohesion, and flexibility coping strategy. Understanding the gender-specific internal and external experiences of TDS as interplaying with their resources, at the unique developmental stage of emerging adulthood, may afford to identify TDS in need and to suggest potential interventions.

Neuroticism and extraversion mediate the relationship between having a sibling with developmental disabilities and anxiety and depression symptoms

Background Children growing up with a sibling with disabilities report higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms as adults. Here, we examined whether personality characteristics also play a part in mediating this relationship. Method We tested for differences in personality traits between 132 individuals who have a sibling with developmental disabilities and 132 closely matched comparisons. Results Differences in Big Five factors of personality were demonstrated across the disability groups and between the disability groups and the comparisons, especially in Extraversion, Neuroticism and Openness. Individuals growing up alongside a sibling with developmental disabilities have a higher tendency to experience anxiety and depression symptoms, and this research is the first demonstration that personality traits mediate this relationship. Specifically, Neuroticism is a strong mediator of anxiety while both Neuroticism and Extraversion contribute mediating effects toward the development of depression. Limitations Our study made use of self-report methodology which, although having recognized limitations, is more reliable than parental reports. Given the cross-sectional nature of our design, we were not able to examine pre-existing developmental factors that may have influenced the participant's propensity to particular personality traits and affective disorders. However, we obtained a large sample and closely matched participants to examine differences between those with a sibling with disabilities and those without. Conclusions As such, differences in personality traits have important implications for the understanding and treatment of siblings presenting with anxiety and depression symptoms. We recommend that intervention should target those high in Neuroticism among individuals who have a sibling with disabilities, and that more social support is put in place for siblings to mitigate their tendency towards introversion and buffer them against psychological maladjustment.