Do beliefs influence posttraumatic growth in fathers of children with intellectual disabilities?
Fathers of kids with ID grow after trauma when they feel hopeful and capable—so shore up those beliefs in parent coaching.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers asked 122 Polish fathers of children with intellectual disability to fill out three short surveys. The surveys measured basic hope, self-efficacy, and posttraumatic growth.
The kids ranged from 3 to 18 years old. Most fathers were married and had finished high school or college.
What they found
Seventy percent of dads scored moderate to high on posttraumatic growth. They reported stronger relationships, new life priorities, and deeper appreciation for life.
Basic hope predicted growth, but only when fathers also felt confident in their parenting skills. Self-efficacy acted like a bridge between hope and growth.
How this fits with other research
Lee et al. (2021) looked at siblings instead of fathers and found culture shapes stress and caregiving roles. Together, the two studies show both dads and brothers-sisters need supports that fit their cultural values.
Golubović et al. (2013) found parents and teens with ID often disagree on quality-of-life ratings. Stanisława et al. add the father’s own growth story, reminding us to ask dads how they are doing, not just how the child is doing.
Bhaumik et al. (2009) measured whole-family quality of life and saw low support from others. The new data say boosting a father’s hope and confidence can raise his personal growth, even when outside help stays the same.
Why it matters
Parent training often targets only behavior skills. This paper tells you to also build hope and self-efficacy. Start sessions by asking dads to name one past parenting win. Then set a tiny, sure-to-succeed goal for the week. The quick success feeds both hope and confidence, setting off the growth cycle the study describes.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Although facing a child's intellectual disability (ID) is considered to threaten paternal psychosocial wellbeing, in recent years there has also been a burgeoning interest in positive contributions of raising children with ID, including posttraumatic growth (PTG) in parents. METHOD: 142 fathers of children with ID completed Polish versions of three inventories: The Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Basic Hope Inventory (BHI), and General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). The average child's age was 11.06 (range: 7-13 years). The stages of the analysis included: descriptive statistics for posttraumatic growth (PTG), basic hope (BH), and self-efficacy (GSE), correlation analysis and the Preacher and Hayes procedure of bootstrapping to test whether GSE mediates the relationship between BH and PTG. RESULTS: 85.91 % of fathers of children with ID experience average or high levels of PTG with the highest scores in its two dimensions: greater appreciation of life, and positive changes in relations with others. PTG is significantly negatively related to a child's age. GSE is a significant mediator of the relationship between BH and PTG (total score and all dimensions). CONCLUSION: The importance of beliefs for experiencing positive changes as a result of raising a child with disability may be useful in therapeutic and supportive activities offered to fathers who experience difficulties in fulfilling their paternal role.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103687