Being Invigorated in Parenthood

• Published in: Journal of pediatric nursing Vol. 20; no. 4; pp. 288 - 297
• Main Authors: Lindblad, Britt-Marie, Rasmussen, Birgit H., Sandman, Per-Olov
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.07.2005
• ISSN: 0882-5963; 1532-8449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2005.04.015

The purpose of the study was to know the meaning of parents' experiences of being supported by professionals when having a child with disability. Data were obtained through unstructured interviews with 16 parents within 10 families and analyzed by a phenomenological–hermeneutic approach. Parents narrated experiences of being supported and not being supported, and the findings are presented as contrasting meanings. Being supported by professionals means gaining confidence as a parent and having the child seen as valuable. This is interpreted as being invigorated in parenthood, where sharing the mutual task and goal, which is the child's best, with professionals is a crucial aspect. The meaning of experiences of lack of support illuminates the consequences for the entire family's well-being and the struggle parents experience to gain confidence as parents and recognition of the child as valuable.