Qualitative Case Study on the Emotions of Mothers of Children with Developmental Disabilities

Objectives This study conducted an intrinsic case study for the purpose of understanding the emotions that mothers with children with developmental disabilities experience in daily life. Methods Research data were collected through interviews with three mothers of children with developmental disabilities, and how mothers felt in their daily situations and contexts were analyzed. Results As a result, 33 subcategories and 13 upper categories were derived, 43 emotional types were derived from the subcategories, and 7 categories of emotions were derived: sadness, disgust, boredom, surprise, fear, joy, and neutral. Conclusions Based on the results of the study, the life of mothers with children with developmental disabilities was examined in depth in terms of their inner psychological state, not in terms of external aspects. This study has significance in that it sought ways to provide counseling and support programs to help mothers with developmental disabilities.