A Holistic Approach to Cope with Depression and Hopelessness for Parents of Special Needs Children

Abstract

This study aims to identify psychological difficulties the parents (n=24) of children with various handicaps from their opinions through a holistic perspective; and reveal the effectiveness of group counseling based on eclectic approach to cope with these difficulties. Study was conducted in two successive steps. During the first step, the data related to the experiences of parents based on having a handicapped child were collected through a structured interview form. As for the second step, a group counseling program which formed within the light of qualitative data gathered in first step was applied, and the effect of the program on depression and hopelessness levels of parents was examined through an experimental design of 2x2. Findings of the study showed that the program had a significant effect on decreasing depression and hopelessness levels of the parents.