College of Nursing & Midwifery, Charles Darwin University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
J Adv Nurs. 2023 Jun;79(6):2360-2377. doi: 10.1111/jan.15551. Epub 2022 Dec 28.
To examine the relationships between challenges, coping and resilience among immigrant parents caring for their children with disabilities; and to explore their coping and resilient experiences and the service centre providers' perspectives on these.
A sequential explanatory mixed methods study.
The participants were recruited from seven centres of disability service in Australia between May 2019 and February 2020. Phase 1 consisted of a cross-sectional survey. Data were collected from 134 immigrant parents. Phase 2 consisted of semi-structured interviews. Data were collected from nine immigrant parents and nine service providers. The findings from each phase were analysed separately and then integrated to answer the research aims.
Immigrant parents experienced challenges such as overwhelming caretaking responsibilities, lack of supportive social networks and feeling embarrassment over their children's behaviours. They used a variety of coping strategies, including reframing and mobilizing family to acquire and accept help from others to overcome their challenges. They had positive gains from the parental experience. Immigrant parents had a reasonable level of resilience. Those with a higher level of perceived challenges had a lower level of coping and resilience. Perceived barriers to parental coping included barriers to establishing social networks and utilizing available disability services. Services from competent service providers and the availability of social support networks were factors facilitating immigrant parents' coping.
Sensitive communication and culturally appropriate care provided by service providers and healthcare professionals can facilitate service utilization and reduce perceived stigma over children with disability.
Findings from the study support that special training provided to healthcare providers about the challenges of immigrant parents raising children with disabilities may enhance awareness of the experience of these parents. Information and instrumental support may help to enhance parental coping, reduce isolation and promote their mental health.
We thank the immigrant parents and the service providers who have been instrumental in the conception of this study.
探讨照顾残疾儿童的移民父母所面临的挑战、应对方式和适应能力之间的关系；并探讨他们的应对和适应经验，以及服务中心提供者对此的看法。
顺序解释性混合方法研究。
参与者是 2019 年 5 月至 2020 年 2 月期间从澳大利亚的七个残疾服务中心招募的。第一阶段是一项横断面调查。数据收集自 134 名移民父母。第二阶段是半结构访谈。数据收集自 9 名移民父母和 9 名服务提供者。对每个阶段的发现分别进行分析，然后整合起来回答研究目的。
移民父母面临的挑战包括照顾责任过重、缺乏支持性社交网络以及对孩子行为感到尴尬等。他们使用了各种应对策略，包括重新构建和调动家庭来获得和接受他人的帮助，以克服挑战。他们从育儿经历中获得了积极的收获。移民父母有一定程度的适应能力。那些感知到更高水平挑战的人，其应对和适应能力水平较低。父母应对的障碍包括建立社交网络和利用现有残疾服务的障碍。服务提供者的能力和社会支持网络的可用性是促进移民父母应对的因素。
服务提供者和医疗保健专业人员提供的敏感沟通和文化上适当的关怀可以促进服务的利用，并减少对残疾儿童的污名化感知。
该研究的结果支持为医疗保健提供者提供有关移民父母养育残疾儿童的挑战的特殊培训，可能会增强他们对这些父母的经历的认识。信息和工具支持可能有助于增强父母的应对能力，减少孤立感，并促进他们的心理健康。
我们感谢移民父母和服务提供者，他们为本研究的构思提供了重要帮助。
