Abstract
Purpose: This study was conducted in order to better identify the relationship between the psychological empowerment of mothers who have handicapped children and their subsequent involvement with self-help groups.
Methods: Sixteen mothers and one father, who have handicapped children and belong to 2 self-help groups, participated in our semi-structured interviews. Theoretical sampling methods were employed to have a variety of participatory lengths; one year (4 mothers), three to seven years (7 mothers and 1 father), more than ten years (5 mothers) . The data was analyzed using the grounded theory approach (B.Glaser and A.Strauss) .
Results: One core category of the empowerment process was identified, changing an encounter into the power, along with eleven lesser categories. All categories were defined using the following three stages of involvement with self-help groups and the abilities the mothers gained through their involvement. 1) ‘from showing interest, concern to motivated into gropely involvement’; ability to identity ones own and others strengths. 2) ‘from gropely involvement to exploratory involvement’; ability to recognize and respect differences. 3) ‘from exploratory involvement to supportive involvement’; ability to facilitate mothers empowerment, who have a short carrier as a handicapped children's mothers. The following three experiences related to empowerment development; 1) viewing themselves objectively and comparing with other mother participants, 2) awareness of the variety of members, 3) talking and narrating their own experiences as a handicapped children's mothers.
