Psychological characteristics of parents with varying involvement in the rehabilitation and/or habilitation of children with disabilities

Abstract

The article examines the influence of psychological characteristics on the degree of parental involvement in rehabilitation and/or habilitation of children with disabilities receiving remedial, developmental, therapeutic, and educational services in Moscow-based ‘My special Family Center’ facilities. The consider the family of a child with disabilities as a rehabilitation structure that supports and consolidates the child’s progress. Parental involvement is defined through psychological and behavioral characteristics. The former includes levels of burnout, depression, and attitude towards the child’s condition, while the latter incorporates adherence to professional recommendations at home, child’s engagement in accessible activities, and collaboration with the specialists of ‘My special Family Center’. While the characteristics of parents in short-term rehabilitation settings have been widely studied, parental behavior in the long-term rehabilitation remains under-researched. The conducted a study involving 44 parents whose children are undergoing long-term rehabilitation in ‘My special Family Center’. The aim was to develop a comprehensive psychological profile of parents with different levels of involvement. Parents were preliminarily categorized into high, medium, and low involvement groups through peer assessment using a specialized checklist. The study measured levels of parental burnout, coping strategies, depression, and parental attitude toward the child’s condition across these groups. Results indicated that groups with different involvement levels differed significantly in emotional burnout and depression. Attitudes toward the child’s condition were moderate across all groups, with only minor variations on specific scales. These findings confirm that not only the child with disabilities but also their immediate family requires support throughout the rehabilitation process.