Abstract. The purpose of the article is to analyze the resilience of families raising children with disabilities and to identify current challenges for the development of helping
practices to improve it. Families with children with special needs are among the most vulnerable social groups. They experience a wide range of problems that can lead to family breakdown. Therefore, studying the resilience of such families and understanding their life situations are of great interest for further research and studies. The authors analyzed the resilience of families using materials from 43 in-depth interviews with parents of children with disabilities. During the analysis of 6 expert interviews, the authors also examined opinions on the prospects for the development of support measures aimed at building family resilience. As a result of the analysis, two groups of families were identified according to their level of resilience. The article found that the most significant factors in building family resilience are the involvement of both parents in raising children with special needs, positive perceptions and the use of various types of support. In most families, there is a connection between resistance to stress after a child’s diagnosis and the level of resilience of families in the later stages of their child’s rehabilitation. The article concludes that it is necessary to develop programs to build family
resilience. Families with children with disabilities need support. The authors note that parents need to take an active role in helping their child with special needs. A family-centered approach is a necessary criterion for building family resilience.
Acknowledgements: this work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation under grant № 23-18-00770 “The potential of involved fatherhood in young Russian families: formation mechanisms, implementation practices, and factors of promotion”, https://rscf.ru/en/project/23-18-00770/.
For citation: Samoylova, V. A., Tomilina, Yu. A. (2024) “Poniali, priniali i dal’she s ėtim zhivёm”: zhiznestoĭkost’ semeĭ, vospityvaiushchikh deteĭ s invalidnost’iu [“We realized,
accepted and continue to live with it”: the resilience of families raising children with disabilities], Zhenshchina v rossiĭskom obshchestve, no. 4, pp. 101—118.