Mothers Who Take Care of Children with Disabilities in Rural Areas of a Spanish Region

Pablo A. Cantero-Garlito, Pedro Moruno-Miralles and Juan Antonio Flores-Martos
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Pablo A. Cantero-Garlito: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Castilla—La Mancha, 45600 Toledo, Spain
Pedro Moruno-Miralles: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Castilla—La Mancha, 45600 Toledo, Spain
Juan Antonio Flores-Martos: Department of Philosophy, Anthropology, Sociology and Aesthetics, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to describe how the mothers of children with disabilities in rural areas of Extremadura perceive care tasks and the subjective impact that these tasks have on their daily life and health, as well as the subjective assessment that these mothers make of the benefits and services of the Spanish welfare policy. An interpretative paradigm was selected, using a qualitative approach and a phenomenological design. Twelve mothers were included. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. A discourse analysis of the narrative information was performed using open, axial, and selective coding processes and the constant comparative method. Three topics have been extracted from the findings of the analysis: (1) extensive care responsibilities, (2) impacts upon well-being and daily life, and (3) resources that “barely” help. The care tasks performed by mothers of children with disabilities in rural areas have an enormous impact on their daily life and health. This involvement in caregiving generates a significant occupational imbalance which has an impact on their mental health, and which causes economic and social problems.

Keywords: children; dependency; care; mothers; rural (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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