Mothers’ Reflections of Ambiguous-Loss on Personal Family Functioning in Families with Autistic-Children

Year 2018, Volume: 19 Issue: 4, 723 - 745, 01.12.2018

Hilal Çelik , Halil Ekşi

https://doi.org/10.21565/ozelegitimdergisi.383589

Cited By: 2

Abstract

The objective of this phenomenological study was to explore the impact
of having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on mothers and its impact
on their family relations. Using descriptive phenomenology design, eight
mothers were reached in the age range of 20-48 years and were interviewed for
this study in 2010. Findings indicated that mothers perceived having a child
with autism as an ambiguous loss. The sense of ambiguous loss was found to
impair their emotional well-being and caused mood changes. This study has also
provided evidence for the sense of ambiguous loss caused by autism to lead to
structural and relational problems in family relationships. This study is one
of the first studies to reveal that having a child with autism creates a sense
of ambiguous loss and provides a basis for understanding its effects on the
mother-child relationship, as well as the related effects on family relationships.

Keywords

autism, ambiguous loss, family functioning, family relations, emotional well-being

Çocuğu Otizm Tanısı Alan Annelerin Deneyimledikleri Belirsiz Kaybın Aile İşlevselliklerine Yansımaları

Abstract

The objective of this phenomenological study
was to explore the impact of having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
on mothers and its impact on their family relations. Using descriptive
phenomenology design, 8 mothers were reached in the age range of 20-48 years
and were interviewed for this study in 2010. Findings indicated that mothers
perceived having a child with autism as an ambiguous loss. The sense of
ambiguous loss was found to impair their emotional well-being and caused mood
changes. This study has also provided evidence for the sense of ambiguous loss
caused by autism to lead to structural and relational problems in family
relationships. This study is one of the first studies to reveal that having a
child with autism creates a sense of ambiguous loss and provides a basis for
understanding its effects on the mother-child relationship, as well as the
related effects on family relationships.

Keywords

otizm, belirsiz kayıp, aile işlevselliği, aile ilişkileri, Autism, ambiguous loss, family functioning, family relations, emotional well-being

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