Social and psychological problems of mothers of children with Down syndrome

Introduction.A child with Down syndrome is a child with emotional, social, physical and psychological characteristics that cannot be conquered in the degree necessary for full socialization, a special child. There are many stereotypes about special children in society. Obviously, children with Down syndrome are among the most vulnerable categories of the population (manifestations of the syndrome cannot be hidden from others), making them a target for stigma. A significant burden falls on the parents (mothers) of the children. Having a special child in the family is a powerful stressor for parents, and the psychological experiences of many of them focus solely on the negative side. In recent years, studies have been made that focus on the positive changes that occur in parents of children with developmental disabilities (cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, etc.) They develop within the post-traumatic growth phenomenon. It should be emphasized that there were no such studies involving parents of children with Down syndrome before.The aim of the workis to study the phenomenon of post-traumatic growth in mothers of children with Down syndrome.Materials and methods.On the basis of the Saint Petersburg public organization “Down Center” in May 2025, a study was conducted in which 29 mothers of children with Down syndrome (from 2 to 18 years old) took part. The study used the method of clinical conversation, post-traumatic growth and post-traumatic depreciation questionnaire (PTGDI-X-50) and the mathematical and statistical method (Excel, JASP, correlation analysis).Results.On the one hand, the process of raising a child with Down syndrome is shown to be accompanied by negative experiences, fatigue, loneliness and mother’s depreciation of her achievements in raising a child; on the other hand, mothers noted acceptance of their child’s diagnosis, involvement in his upbringing, as well as social support. The dominant scales of post-traumatic growth have been identified: the “attitude towards others” scale is expressed in the mother’s understanding of the value of the family and close relationships, in her desire to strengthen social ties, including supporting people in difficult life situations; the “new opportunities” scale — reflects the mother’s search and acceptance of a different life path that would not be part of her life, if not for the situation of the diagnosis of “Down syndrome” in her child — this search is associated with a change in the mother’s self-perception, her ability to see and accept new facets of herself, which manifested themselves in the process of caring for the child; the “spiritual change” scale indicates a change in the mother’s attitude towards herself and the world as a whole.Conclusion.For parents (mothers), raising a child with Down syndrome the process is not associated with only negative consequences in the form of fatigue, exhaustion, emotional burnout, but also can be a catalyst for post-traumatic growth, a source of constructive transformations of personality. At the same time, issues of tolerance to special children, the development of strategies for informing the population about special children and ways to overcome stigma are of great importance.