Maternal attitudes toward children in families raising children with disabilities

Abstract

The family is the primary institution of socialization, playing a crucial role in shaping a child’s personality. For children with disabilities, the family assumes particular significance, as they require long-term care and support from their parents. Harmonious family relationships provide a nurturing environment, whereas disharmonious parenting – manifesting in inconsistent strategies, excessive demands, or neglect of special needs – Increase developmental delays and the risk of future social maladjustment. This makes it important to explore parental attitudes – with a focus on mothers as primary caregivers – in families raising children with disabilities and to develop recommendations for psychological support. This study examines maternal attitudes in families raising children with disabilities based on a sample of 167 mothers, including those raising children with disabilities and those raising typically developing children. Empirical methods included the ent–Child Interaction Questionnaire (PCI) by I. M. Markovskaya (1998), and a questionnaire developed by the. Statistical differences were assessed using the Mann–Whitney U-test, with data processed using the standard SPSS Statistics 27 software package. Results indicate that mothers of children with disabilities are more likely to exhibit overprotection, excessive demands, and partial neglect of the child’s needs. These mothers also demonstrate increased anxiety regarding the child’s life and health and a tendency to project their own qualities onto the child, which can prompt them to use harsh parenting methods and provoke emotional rejection of the child. Mothers of children with disabilities exhibit an elevated level of control, reduced emotional closeness, and diminished capacity for unconditional acceptance. These findings highlight the importance of developing individual and group psychological support programs for mothers of children with disabilities, aimed at correcting and strengthening parental relationships.