Abstract
Parents who have an adolescent with intellectual disability experienced stress caused by challenges that came with having such adolescents. Those challenges affected the parents physically and emotionally, depending on the severity of the adolescent’s disability. To have an adolescent with intellectual disability become a burden if the challenges are not resolved. The purpose of the study was to describe the experiences of parents who have an adolescent with intellectual disability in Giyani, and to develop recommendations to facilitate these parents’ mental health. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, contextual design was utilised in this study. Data were collected through in-depth, phenomenological interviews with eight participants, observations and field notes. The main question asked of participants was “How is it to have an adolescent with intellectual disability?” Collected data were analysed through thematic coding and with the assistance of an external coder. Parents who have an adolescent with intellectual disability experienced negative emotional responses. Most parents reported a lack of support from their family members and the community, while few parents reported an abundance of support from their family members and the community. They also reported caring challenges, and some showed positive coping mechanisms. The researcher developed recommendations to facilitate parents’ mental health. The recommendations were developed to enhance the parents’ wholistic well-being. Recommendations include conducting psychotherapy with the parents and the community, and government and stakeholders providing resources, including the private sectors.
M.Cur. (Nursing)