Premium
Relationship Quality in Adult Siblings with and without Developmental Disabilities
Author(s) -
Burbidge Julia,
Minnes Patricia
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/fare.12047
Subject(s) - sibling , closeness , sibling relationship , psychology , developmental psychology , feeling , social psychology , mathematical analysis , mathematics
The authors' first study compared participants' relationships between their siblings with and without a developmental disability ( DD ) and examined the effect of gender on sibling relationships. The second study explored how adults with a DD perceived their sibling relationships. Adults (n = 128) who had a sibling with and without a DD completed questionnaires about relationship closeness and contact. Participants reported more in‐person and telephone contact with siblings with a DD and more positive feelings about the sibling relationship. Gender was not related to the relationship with a sibling with a DD , whereas sisters reported closer relationships and more contact with sisters without a DD as compared to brothers without a DD . Seventeen adults with a DD also completed interviews about shared activities, contact, and sibling support. Participants indicated a desire to spend more time with siblings and reported that they provided support to and received support from their siblings .