ABSTRACT:
Literature has established the importance of support and solidary attitudes in the lives of people facing adversity. In this sense, this study aimed to identify and discuss the phenomenon of intergenerational solidarity between mothers and grandmothers of children with disabilities in a Brazilian sample. This is a descriptive, quantitative study. Data were collected from 76 participants: dyads of grandmothers and mothers of children with disabilities who are dependent on adults in their daily lives. Self-report instruments were administered individually to apprehend dimensions of the intergenerational relationship, ambivalence and maturity of mothers and grandmothers. The results indicate that intergenerational ambivalence is the dimension with the lowest values in mothers, but one of the dimensions with the highest values in grandmothers, together with parental maturity. Some implications can be drawn from the need to take into account the richness and complexity existing in the reciprocity of intergenerational relationships in general and, in particular, between caregivers of children with a high level of dependency. Interventions aimed at contributing to the cohesion and well-being of these families must consider the role played not only by the mother and father, as the main caregivers, but also by the grandparents, attending both the support they provide and their own needs support, information and autonomy. Future studies may try to clarify, from a qualitative and quantitative point of view, these dyadic relationships, as well as to introduce other additional risk and adjustment indicators, such as other people who can be sources of support, whether or not they are members of the biological family.
KEYWORDS:
Grandparents; Mothers; Children with disabilities; Family solidarity; Intergenerational Relationship