Parents narcissism in front of a disabled child's birth

Abstract EN

Each parent often harbors a dream of having an ideal child who will carry on their legacy and aspirations, but this dream can be shattered when the child is born with a sensory, motor, or mental impairment.

this unexpected news can be devastating, not only damaging the parents' self-esteem but also challenging their sense of identity as parents.

parents' responses to this situation vary; some struggle to quickly come to terms with the news, while others may use denial as a coping mechanism to repair their self-esteem.

we explored the issue of parental guilt towards their disabled child and the extent to which they accept or reject the disability through a comprehensive analysis of four case studies.

employing a clinical approach that combined case studies, semi-structured interviews, and life narrative techniques, we conducted a content analysis to examine our research hypotheses.

our findings suggest that feelings of guilt are a widespread experience among most parents, manifesting in either pathological or motivating behaviors.

moreover, our research revealed that accepting the disability does not necessarily mean embracing it as a desirable outcome.

rather, it involves acknowledging the circumstances imposed by the disability and integrating it as a new variable in the parents' lives.

this acceptance can be a crucial step in overcoming feelings of guilt and moving forward.