Challenges and support needs of parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) in Accra, Ghana.
Ghanaian parents of kids with developmental disabilities urgently need emotional, informational, financial, informal, and formal support—check all five at intake.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers talked to 40 parents of children with developmental disabilities in Accra, Ghana. They asked open questions about daily struggles and what help they wanted.
Parents met in small groups and one-on-one. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and sorted into themes by hand.
What they found
Five big needs came up again and again: emotional help, clear information, money, family support, and professional services.
Parents felt alone, confused about the child's condition, and unable to pay for therapy. Church and relatives helped a little, but formal services were scarce.
How this fits with other research
Garwood et al. (2021) asked the same questions in Mongolia and got the same five needs. Both studies show parents in low-resource countries face cash strain and service gaps.
Fäldt et al. (2024) looked at UK parents whose kids had no diagnosis yet. Stress levels matched the Ghanaian parents, proving you don't need a label to feel overwhelmed.
Kehinde et al. (2023) added a gender lens in Nigeria and South Africa. Mothers carried most caregiving while fathers stayed peripheral, hinting that Ghanaian moms likely bear the same double load.
Why it matters
Start every assessment by asking about the five need areas. Offer a listening ear, plain-language explanations, and local fee-waiver options. Build mom-focused peer groups and invite dads in. Link families to churches and community elders while you fight for formal services. Small acts in these spots can lighten their load right away.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) have diverse challenges and needs. If met, these parents are able to provide adequate care for their children. Unfulfilled needs like information about their child's diagnosis, counselling, and poor access to informal and formal supports increase parental stress and hinder their potential to provide optimal care for their children and themselves. AIMS: This study explores the unique challenges and needs of parents caring for children with DD in the Accra metropolis. This is the first study exploring the needs of parents in a Lower-middle income (LMIC) country like Ghana. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A qualitative research design was adopted for this study. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews from 9 parents of children with DD. RESULTS: Findings from thematic analysis revealed five themes including; Emotional needs; Informational needs; Financial needs; Informal Support, and Formalized Support. Parents indicated their great need for information on their children's condition, support from family, religious groups, and other formalized institutions and how to provide better care. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Parents have several expectations and needs which must be addressed. Findings have the potential of influencing the design and development of appropriate interventions to meet the needs and improve the quality of life of parents of children with DD in the Ghanaian context.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2022 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104274