The effect of mental retarded child on mother's life: qualitative approach

Abstract

According to the deep and reciprocal effect of mental retarded children on family members' lives, especially mothers, and few studies in this group, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of mental retarded child on mother's life. The research method was qualitative: grounded theory. The sample group included 22 Yazd City's mothers with mental retarded child whom were selected by purposive sampling method. The sampling process continued to theoretical saturation. We used non-structured and semi-structured interviews to collect data. By using theoretical encoding, we analyzed the data. We acknowledged 54 concepts in open encoding phase and 9 categories in axial encoding phase. These categories included: facility defect, cost distress, social relationship defect, marital dissatisfaction, support defect, blaming others, belief conflict, pregnancy worry, and future fear. The core category emerged as "care-peril". The result showed that mother's caring of their M.R. children, exposed them to the various perils. Cultural, economic and supportive poverty, as causal conditions affect mother's care-peril phenomenon. Consequences included affective divorce, relationship decline, depression and dissuasion of next pregnancy.

Keywords

• mental retarded child
• mother's life
• grounded theory
• care-peril