Abstract
BackgroundIn Africa, caretakers of children with disabilities face stigma and report feeling isolated. The caretakers may take their children to school in the hope of finding solace from grim societal norms. However, schools for children with disabilities are often too ill-equipped to support the children or their caretakers. No study has examined how structural settings (like the type of school) may frame the association between coping and resilience. Thus, this study examined the association between coping and resilience among caretakers of school-going children with disabilities in Uganda.Methods The study used mixed methods to survey 621 caretakers of children with disabilities in Kampala district, Uganda. Hierarchical cluster analysis followed by binary logistic regression was conducted to examine the association between school type and caretakers’ coping patterns. Hierarchical linear regression was then employed to assess the association between coping and resilience with the type of school and other covariates. Qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Qualitative and quantitative results were triangulated with a convergent joint display.ResultsCaretakers of children in inclusive schools were more likely to use adaptive coping skills than caretakers of children in special needs schools (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 1.5; p = 0.04; 95% CI = 1.02-2.30). Caretakers of children in special needs schools had significantly higher resilience than caretakers of children in inclusive schools (B = 2.65; SE_B = 1.21; p = 0.02; n = 621). Caretakers who received social support from the school had significantly higher resilience than caretakers who received social support from informal sources (B = 2.33; SE_ B= 1.05; p = 0.03; B= 1.87)ConclusionThis study underscores the importance of structural factors, such as the school type, in framing caretakers' psychological outcomes. Schools that provide social support to caretakers play a crucial mediating role in how caretakers cope and influence their ability to adapt to the challenges they face. Therefore, schools for children with disabilities are an avenue that can be leveraged to support families and improve the psychological health outcomes of children and their caretakers.
Coping and Resilience: Two Peas in a Pod? A Mixed-methods Study on the Association Between Coping and Resilience among Caretakers of School-going Children with Disabilities in Uganda
