Meaning making in parenting a child with disabilities: Discrepancy of meaning, psychological distress, coping strategies and stress-related growth

This study investigates the psychological adaptation of parents raising children with disabilities through the framework of the Meaning Making Model. It specifically examines how discrepancies between parents' global meaning (their broader beliefs and expectations) and situational meaning (their interpretation of their child’s disability) affect their psychological distress, the use of meaning-focused coping strategies, and their stress-related personal growth. The sample comprised 186 parents, the majority of whom were female, with data collected through measures assessing the discrepancy between global and situational meaning, levels of distress, meaning-focused coping strategies (i.e., benefit finding and turning to religion), and stress-related growth. The results showed that parents who experienced greater meaning discrepancy were more likely to experience more stress and engage in coping strategies like benefit finding and turning to religion; they also reported higher levels of stress-related personal growth compared to those with lower discrepancy of meaning. These findings offer empirical support for the Meaning Making Model in the context of parenting children with disabilities, highlighting the crucial role of meaning-making processes in fostering resilience and personal development in parents facing challenging circumstances. For counseling and intervention, the results suggest that helping parents reframe the meaning of their child's disability to align more closely with their global beliefs—through meaning-focused coping strategies—may alleviate distress and improve their coping and adjustment.