Being a sibling of a child with intellectual disability from the perspective of mothers: A qualitative study

Abstract

This qualitative study was conducted to identify how being a sibling of a child with intellectual disabilities is defined for the child, its implications from the perspective of mothers. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews using a "Semi-structured interview form" between November 2023 and January 2024 with 14 mothers of children aged 12-18 who were studying in seven special education and rehabilitation centres in Türkiye. The semi-structured interview form included questions such as "Can you tell us about the relationship between your child with intellectual disability and his/her sibling?" Main themes and sub-themes were developed using thematic analysis. Four main themes were identified from the data through thematic analysis: (1) A special relationship (2) The need to be perfect (3) Guilt and shame (4) Restriction. The findings revealed both positive and negative aspects of being a sibling of children with intellectual disabilities from the mothers' perspective.

Keywords: Intellectual disability; mother; qualitative research; sibling relationships.