Factors influencing maternal attitudes towards preschoolers with intellectual disabilities: Results of a pilot study

 
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Abstract

The article presents the findings of a pilot study on the factors influencing maternal attitudes toward preschool children with special health conditions, such as intellectual disabilities, as well as neurotypically developing children. The purpose of the study is to analyze the psychological characteristics of the mother and child in order to identify the key factors influencing the formation of a maternal attitude. The study was conducted on the basis of compensatory and public kindergartens of Saint Petersburg, Russia. The study involved 34 mothers: 18 mothers of children with intellectual disabilities and 16 mothers of neurotypical children. Demographic data indicated mean ages of 36.2 years for mothers (SD = 5.47) and 4.8 (SD = 1.27) years for children. The acquired data indicate that it is the behavioral characteristics of the child (hostile patterns of behavior, symptoms of anxiety, social deviance, cognitive dysfunctions) and the general psycho-emotional state of the mother (the presence of depressive symptoms, tension in establishing social contacts, the level of neuroticism and self-confidence and strength, resistance to stress loads) that significantly affect the formation of her relationships with the child. Mothers of children with special needs exhibited a more protective attitude and a higher level of control compared to mothers of neurotypically developing children. Additionally, they demonstrated a lower level of positive evaluation of their child’s personality (e.g., in the “my child” assessment). However, further research is required to fully understand this relationship.

General Information

Keywords: maternal attitude, preschool children, intellectual disability, neurotypical development, special needs parenting

Journal rubric: Empirical and Experimental Research

Article type: scientific article

Published

For citation: Rodina, M.A., Blokh, M.E. (2025). Factors influencing maternal attitudes towards preschoolers with intellectual disabilities: Results of a pilot study . Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Psychology, 15(2), 240–252. (In Russ.). URL: https://psyjournals.ru/en/journals/vspu_psychology/archive/2025_n2/Rodina_et_al (viewed: 05.12.2025)

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Information About the Authors

Maryana A. Rodina, Postgraduate student, Saint Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russian Federation, e-mail: st122272@student.spbu.ru

Mariia E. Blokh, Candidate of Science (Medicine), Associate professor, Division of Child and Parent Mental Health and Early Intervention, Saint Petersburg State University, psychotherapist, Dr D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproduction, St.Petersburg, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8609-6936, e-mail: blohme@list.ru

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