Division of Special Education and Counseling, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Department of Education, Health and Behavior Studies, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA.
Child Care Health Dev. 2022 Sep;48(5):772-780. doi: 10.1111/cch.12986. Epub 2022 Mar 7.
The first years following diagnosis may be particularly challenging for parents and peer support from other parents of children with special health care needs may buffer their stress.
This qualitative interview study sought to explore the impact of early access to parental peer support and whether it leads to positive adaptation and improved family well-being.
Five mothers of young children with special health care needs from peer support organizations in two northern US states participated in interviews by telephone or Zoom. Themes of interest included professional scrutiny, going through the motions, someone who understands, learning and sharing, and one size does not fit all. Although most participants attributed positive changes in their emotional well-being to the support they received, they were wary of extending the impact of peer support to their child and family.
Implications for practice include embedding peer support programmes in neonatal care units and children's hospitals, as well as the addition of mindfulness practices to facilitate parental adaptation to disability and promote family well-being.
诊断后的最初几年可能对父母来说极具挑战性，而来自其他有特殊医疗需求儿童的父母的同龄支持可能会缓解他们的压力。
本定性访谈研究旨在探讨早期获得父母同辈支持的影响，以及它是否会导致积极的适应和改善家庭幸福感。
来自美国北部两个州的同伴支持组织的 5 名有特殊医疗需求的幼儿的母亲通过电话或 Zoom 参与了访谈。感兴趣的主题包括专业审查、例行公事、有人理解、学习和分享，以及一刀切。尽管大多数参与者将他们情绪健康的积极变化归因于他们所得到的支持，但他们对将同伴支持的影响扩展到他们的孩子和家庭持谨慎态度。
对实践的启示包括将同伴支持计划嵌入新生儿护理病房和儿童医院，以及增加正念练习，以促进父母对残疾的适应和促进家庭幸福感。
