Mothers Parenting a Child With Intellectual Disability in Urban India: An Application of the Stress and Resilience Framework.
Urban Indian mothers mix science and faith to handle stress—use both in your parent support plans.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers talked to the mothers in Delhi who have preschoolers with intellectual disability.
They asked open questions about daily stress and how moms cope.
All families lived in crowded city neighborhoods and earned low to middle incomes.
What they found
Moms listed three big stress piles: child behavior, money worries, and pressure from relatives.
Yet every mom also named helpers: her own grit, grandparents, prayer groups, and neighbors.
Many mixed science facts with religious ideas to make sense of the disability.
How this fits with other research
Gaynor et al. (2008) showed that accepting tough feelings lowers mom anxiety and depression. Aesha’s moms use this same acceptance plus faith, showing culture adds extra tools.
Giofrè et al. (2014) found family support and money help matter more than child behavior. The Delhi stories match: moms lean on kin and savings first.
Dixon (2014) tracked ASD moms and saw stress rise as kids hit teens. Aesha’s moms of preschoolers already feel high stress, but they also talk about hope. Different ages explain the seeming clash.
Blacher et al. (2013) showed Latino moms keep positive views longer than Anglo moms. The Indian moms blend positive and stressful views at the same time, extending the idea that culture shapes how moms see disability.
Why it matters
When you plan parent training in urban India, ask about grandparents, temple groups, and money help. Build sessions that use both science facts and family faith. One simple step: open each meeting with a five-minute share about a strength or helper the mom used that week.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
We examined relevance of the key constructs of the stress and resilience framework in the urban Indian context. Analyses of interviews with urban Indian mothers (N = 47) of a 3-6 year old child with intellectual disability generated themes on maternal appraisals of the child's disability, perceived stressors, and resources. Mothers seemed to utilize a combination of fact-based and religious explanation to make sense of their child's disability. Parental stressors ranged from child-related factors (diagnosis, behavioral problems) to financial and family-level challenges. However, participants also reported a number of personal, family-level, and societal resources that helped them cope with the stressors. Study findings are discussed in the context of implications for practice, policy, and research.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2017 · doi:10.1352/1934-9556-55.5.325