Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Counselor Education and Supervision
Advisor
Dorothy Scotten
Abstract
Parents of children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) encounter challenges in parenting and parent-child relationship development that are not typical to most parental situations. The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of caregivers of children with RAD, to identify current met and unmet needs, to explore the experiences the caregivers of children with RAD have and the resources available to them. The study included a hermeneutic phenomenological foundation and incorporated the conceptual frameworks of family systems theory and attachment theory. A nonprobability, self-selection sampling strategy was utilized with recruitment through Facebook support groups. Methods included the use of an eligibility survey, semistructured interviews, debriefing form, and in vivo hand coding to analyze data. Themes that impact caregiving of children with RAD were identified as growth, family relationships, experiencing negative feelings, and experiences with supports. The researcher identified subthemes of personal caregiver growth and experiencing growth in the child. In family relationships theme, primary caregiver and sibling relationships were strained while other family relationships are mixed. Caregivers experienced a wide variety of negative emotions. Participants described mixed experiences with resources and reported a need for services. Results will be disseminated to educate health care professionals on the needs and resources most important to caregivers of children with RAD in order to increase support and positive outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Baumgart, Abby, "The Lived Experiences of Caregivers of Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 8847.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/8847
