How parents describe the positive aspects of parenting their child who has intellectual disabilities: A systematic review and narrative synthesis

• Published in: Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities Vol. 32; no. 5; pp. 1255 - 1279
• Main Authors: Beighton, Carole, Wills, Jane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley-Blackwell 01.09.2019; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Child; Child care; Child Rearing; Coping; Disabled Children; Evidence-based medicine; Humans; Intellectual disabilities; Intellectual Disability; Intellectual Disability - nursing; learning disability; Mental health; Original; Parent Attitudes; parent carers; Parent Child Relationship; Parenting - psychology; Parenting Styles; Parents; Parents & parenting; Parents - psychology; Personal development; positive aspects of parenting; Qualitative research; Stress Variables; Systematic review; learning disability; intellectual disabilities; systematic review; positive aspects of parenting; parent carers
• ISSN: 1360-2322; 1468-3148; 1468-3148
• DOI: 10.1111/jar.12617

Background Identifying what parents describe to be positive about parenting their child who has intellectual disabilities is important for professional practice and how parents can be supported over a lifespan. Methods Studies in which parents describe the positive aspects of parenting their child with intellectual disabilities were identified via electronic databases searches and analysed in a narrative synthesis. Results Twenty‐two studies were included. Consistent themes emerged relating to positive change, increased personal strength, growth and development largely related to parental intrapersonal orientation. Several studies emphasized that the presence of growth or positive change does not imply the absence of distress. Conclusions Positive aspects are not consistently defined and measured differently across studies. Consistent themes are described variously attributed to theories relating to coping, adaptation or growth following adversity; however, no single theoretical framework emerged. Factors likely to predict a parent's ability to identify positive aspects are inconclusive.