Negative emotions in siblings of individuals with developmental disabilities: The roles of early maladaptive schemas and system justification.

Yaldız et al. (2021) asked teenagers about negative feelings.

Half of the teens had a brother or sister with a developmental delay.

The other half had only typically-developing siblings.

Everyone filled out three short forms about anger, sadness, and worry.

They also rated deep beliefs called early maladaptive schemas and system justification.

Both groups reported the same amount of negative emotion.

Having a sibling with a disability did not raise or lower the score.

Teens who held fewer harsh self-beliefs felt less upset.

Teens who trusted that society is fair also felt less upset.

The disability label itself was not the deciding factor.

Laposa et al. (2017) found the opposite: siblings of kids with IDD said they felt more anxiety.

The difference is the question. Halime asked how often anger or sadness happens. M asked how nervous they feel about their brother or sister.

Lee et al. (2021) scoping review adds culture. It shows Hispanic, Asian, and Black siblings talk about duty and pride, not just stress. Halime’s sample was one region; culture may hide or highlight feelings.

Pilowsky et al. (2007) looked at thinking skills, not feelings. Like Halime, they found no unique sibling profile, backing the idea that disability alone does not predict outcome.

You can stop assuming every sibling is at risk for mood trouble. Instead, screen for harsh self-beliefs and low trust in fairness. A quick schema card sort or a five-item system-justification scale tells you who needs coping skills. Use that data to start a sibling support group, not because of the label, but because of the belief profile.