生命的發現--智障兒童父母復原力之研究

本研究旨在探討家有智障兒童，作為父母者在養育智障兒童時所面對的逆境經驗，以及因應態度與調適策略，從而獲得自我身心復原，乃至對個人生命的發現之歷程。本研究採質性研究之深入訪談法搜集資料，共邀請三位適應良好之智障兒童家長參與本研究。研究結果分別呈現三位研究參與者之復原力及復原力對其個人生命之影響。研究之結果如下：一、父母得悉子女診斷為智障時，呈現負向的心理反應，包括對醫學診斷困惑、激動流淚、傷心、抗拒、難以接受、擔心、無奈、心情沉重、沮喪、需要安慰等情緒反應。二、父母面對智障子女的逆境經驗包括子女的生理/心理問題、照顧困難和家庭受影響。三、父母因應智障子女呈現的復原力包括：（一）逆境中激發之復原行動：包括逆境中因應態度、逆境中因應策略和逆境中自我調適。（二）個人抵御逆境的內在復原因子：包括樂觀開朗、靈活變通、自由開放、懷抱希望、習得平常心、接納痛苦和有限、懂得放下、正向思考、盡力與自我肯定、情緒穩定、宗教與正向理念、常懷感恩、內控信念、不辭勞苦、積極與堅毅等十五項。（三）擁有社會外在復原因子：包括家庭方面、學校方面和社會方面。四、智障兒童父母的復原力對其個人生命的影響，包括思維煉淨與更新、心胸更豁達、知足常樂、面對困難的能力、體察別人困境、更能包容別人、更能接受挫折、更豐盛的生命、了解愛的真諦、人生更上一層樓。研究者根據上述研究結果加以討論，並據此結果提出建議以作為其他智障兒童父母、專業助人工作者及未來研究者的參考。

關鍵字

復原力；智障兒童；因應

並列摘要

The Purpose of this research is to study and understand the challenges that the parents of Intellectually Disabled Children (IDC) may face during the course of taking care of and bringing up the children. The study also touches on how the parents react in response to such challenges as well as how they regulate themselves to eventually achieve self resilience and self discovery in life. This research adopts the Depth Interview Methods of Qualitative Research. Parents of considerably high level of adaption of three IDCs are invited to participate in the research. The study result displays the strength of resilience of individual participant as well as the importance of such strength to their life. The following are the key findings of the study: 1. When the parents learned that their children were diagnosed to be IDC their immediate reactions were negative including confusion about the diagnosis result, shedding tears emotionally, grieving, resistance, refusal to accept the fact, anxiousness, helplessness, despair, needing comfort from others etc. 2. Parents encountered adverse experience including physiological / psychological issues of the IDC children, difficulties in taking care of IDC children as well as the impact of having IDC children on other members in the family. 3. To cope with the fact of having IDC, the parents showed their quality of resilience including: (1) Resilience actions in response to adverse experience including coping attitude, coping strategy and self regulation. (2) Inherent protective factors including optimism, flexibility, openness, hopefulness, peacefulness, acceptance of suffering and limitation, willingness to let go, positive way of thinking, doing one’s best and self recognition, being calm, religious and positive philosophy, being grateful, self control and self believe, endurance, being active and persistent. (3) External protective factors from family members, from the school as well as from the society. 4. The resilience process impacts IDC parents’ subsequently in many ways such as renewal of mindset, increase in generosity, being contented, having better ability in facing challenges, understanding of others’ difficulty, acceptance of different opinions, acceptance of failure, finding more meaning in life, appreciation of the truth of love, taking their experience in life to new heights. According to the results of the study, the researcher offers suggestions which would hopefully benefit other IDC parents, professional social workers as well as other researchers for their reference.