A Phenomenological Study of Parenting Stress Among Korean Mothers of Deaf Children

Using phenomenological methods, the authors examined the kinds of parenting stresses experienced by Korean mothers of deaf children. The participants were 5 Korean mothers ages 45–50 years whose children's communication mode was spoken language. As a result of their data analysis, the researchers constructed 21 concepts and 7 categories, the categories being "Frustration with parenting their child," "Struggling between mainstream education and special education," "Continuing to be alienated from mainstream education settings," "Feeling left out and hurt in family relationships," "Making a sacrifice for the child," "Change in values of life," and "Importance of services meeting parents' needs." The study suggests the need for comprehensive support services that consider deaf children and their parents, siblings, families, and schools. The study also provides clinical implications for social work practice with families with deaf children from culturally diverse backgrounds.