View in EDS

Parents with physical disabilities and their parenting experiences: a scoping review of qualitative studies.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Parents with physical disabilities and their parenting experiences: a scoping review of qualitative studies.
Authors: Hu, L. (AUTHOR), Bindman, R. (AUTHOR), Heyman, M. (AUTHOR), Jabroun, S. (AUTHOR), Lomerson, N. (AUTHOR), Mitra, M. (AUTHOR), Swinford, L. (AUTHOR), Hilberink, S. R. (AUTHOR)
Source: Disability & Rehabilitation. May2026, Vol. 48 Issue 9, p2579-2592. 14p.
Subjects: Psychological resilience, Research funding, CINAHL database, Parent attitudes, Descriptive statistics, Family relations, Psychological adaptation, Parents with disabilities, Systematic reviews, MEDLINE, Social support, Psychosocial factors, Psychology information storage & retrieval systems
Abstract: Purpose: Parents with physical disabilities experience social marginalization, reflecting pervasive ableism and stigma. It is critical to understand their experiences related to parenting to develop targeted and supportive programs. The primary objective was to examine the extent of existing knowledge on parental experiences of physically disabled parents by conducting a scoping review of peer-reviewed qualitative studies. Methods: Studies were included if they reported qualitative data on the parenting experiences of parents with physical disabilities and were published between 1990 and 2024. Medline, Cinahl, PsychInfo, and Scopus were used. A standardized data extraction form was developed and tested prior to data extraction. Results: 25 publications (23 studies) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. These studies reflected the experiences of parents with diverse physical disabilities. Studies highlighted numerous aspects of parents' experiences, including 1) Navigating a multitude of barriers and challenges; 2) Parent experiences with other family members (excluding their children): supportive and challenging; 3) Diverse parent experiences with non-family support persons; and 4) Adaptation, resilience, and positivity in disabled parenting. Conclusions: Parents described adaptation and resilience in response to pervasive challenges. Rehabilitation programs that serve disabled parents should leverage the strengths and assets of the persons served. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Rehabilitation should implement programs that aim to support parents with physical disabilities and should strive to leverage expertise derived from lived experience. Specific assessments and peer support programs may be especially useful. Rehabilitation is encouraged to proactively consult adults with physical disabilities about how the individual disability impacts parenthood. Rehabilitation is encouraged to share their knowledge with other medical disciplines (such as obstetricians and gynecologists) to improve quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Disability & Rehabilitation is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Description
Abstract:Purpose: Parents with physical disabilities experience social marginalization, reflecting pervasive ableism and stigma. It is critical to understand their experiences related to parenting to develop targeted and supportive programs. The primary objective was to examine the extent of existing knowledge on parental experiences of physically disabled parents by conducting a scoping review of peer-reviewed qualitative studies. Methods: Studies were included if they reported qualitative data on the parenting experiences of parents with physical disabilities and were published between 1990 and 2024. Medline, Cinahl, PsychInfo, and Scopus were used. A standardized data extraction form was developed and tested prior to data extraction. Results: 25 publications (23 studies) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. These studies reflected the experiences of parents with diverse physical disabilities. Studies highlighted numerous aspects of parents' experiences, including 1) Navigating a multitude of barriers and challenges; 2) Parent experiences with other family members (excluding their children): supportive and challenging; 3) Diverse parent experiences with non-family support persons; and 4) Adaptation, resilience, and positivity in disabled parenting. Conclusions: Parents described adaptation and resilience in response to pervasive challenges. Rehabilitation programs that serve disabled parents should leverage the strengths and assets of the persons served. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Rehabilitation should implement programs that aim to support parents with physical disabilities and should strive to leverage expertise derived from lived experience. Specific assessments and peer support programs may be especially useful. Rehabilitation is encouraged to proactively consult adults with physical disabilities about how the individual disability impacts parenthood. Rehabilitation is encouraged to share their knowledge with other medical disciplines (such as obstetricians and gynecologists) to improve quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:09638288
DOI:10.1080/09638288.2025.2550626