Not two families are the same, which makes the dynamics of families with disabilities even more unique. Growing up and living with a person with a disability affects all subsystems of the family, as well as the relationships and self-image of family members.
The main aim of the master's thesis was to explore the family members' self-concept and the relationships between the different subsystems. As part of the research, I also investigated the influence of socio-demographic data on attitudes and self-concept. I used a quantitative approach as well as descriptive and causal, non-experimental methods. The questionnaire was completed by 32 families of people with disabilities, 50 parents and 47 children.
The results showed that parents and children have a positive self-concept in all areas. The exception is siblings over the age of 19, who are more likely to feel anxious and feel that their lives lack meaning. Parents and children rate their relationships as connected and open; the parents rate the relationships as low conflict, the children as medium conflict. The partners are very satisfied with their relationship and the children feel that their parents take them into account and are responsible, which is confirmed by the parents' opinion of the committed relationship. The children stated that they sometimes have a negative attitude towards their siblings, but otherwise have positive feelings towards them and a positive opinion of the relationship.
In the second part of the study, I found that socio-demographic data such as gender, place of residence and social-economic status hereafter SES had a significant impact on parents' social coping. I found that mothers are more socially adaptive than fathers and that rural parents are more adaptive than urban parents. A higher SES of parents has a positive effect on their professional self-esteem, while a lower SES has a negative effect on overall self-esteem. Combined forms of special needs have also been shown to have a negative impact on the perception of meaning in life. In addition, children from rural areas have been found to have a higher social self-esteem.
I have observed that sisters experience higher levels of anxiety, but at the same time have a higher social and physical self-esteem than their brothers. It was also found that siblings who experience stigmatization express less meaning in life and experience higher levels of anxiety. In the area of relationships, I found that where one lives influences the level of conflict in relationships and that these relationships are less conflictual in rural areas. According to the parents, families with a higher SES are more cohesive. It was also found that in families where members experience stigmatization, relationships are more cohesive, while children, on the other hand, view relationships as more conflictual. I have found that conflict is more common in families with multiple disorders. I have also found that mothers feel that they have a more cohesive relationship with their child, and that parents in the urban areas feel that relationships are less conflictual than parents in rural areas. In families with more members, children feel that their parents respect them in the relationship, while children in families with four or eight members feel that their parents can rely on them. The survey also found that younger siblings perceive their behavior towards their siblings as more acceptable compared to older siblings. The negative effects of SES and place of residence on the relationship between the partners were also found.
At the end of my master's thesis, I concluded that support groups, psychosocial support and other systemic changes would have a positive impact on the lives of families of people with disabilities.
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