title: Social support needs of families adopting special needs children.
abstract: A grounded theory begins to explain parental practices in seeking social support. Interviews with 20 parents who had adopted children with special needs and 5 health care providers indicated that parents lacked awareness of available resources; preferred informal support systems; sought help only when "failing" to solve problems; and perceived that health care providers lacked knowledge of adoption issues, family dynamics, and common health issues. Parents preferred informal to formal supports, and felt upset when formal supports were judged ineffective or non-existent.
authors.affiliation: Washington State University, Intercollegiate College of Nursing, Spokane 99224, USA. dmolinari@wsu.edu
authors.forename: Deana L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Molinari
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Freeborn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000300:Adoption / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D020380:Needs Assessment; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States