ERIC Number: EJ1227858
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Sep
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1744-6295
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Internet Use for Family Carers of People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Literature Review and Thematic Synthesis
Caton, Sue; Koivunen, Emma-Reetta; Allison, Callum
Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, v23 n3 p446-468 Sep 2019
Being a family carer can be rewarding but can also lead to mental and physical exhaustion as well as feelings of social exclusion and isolation. Research has shown that the use of the Internet and online forums can provide an immediate place to find information and reassurance and that forum use can be an empathetic place to share experiences and seek emotional support. This article details a systematic literature search of research on carers of people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism using the Internet. A thematic synthesis of the resulting papers identified that online forums give carers a sense of agency by providing a place to go for informational support that may not be elsewhere. Carers also enjoyed the safe community of solidarity and emotional support that online forums provide. An important finding is the lack of published papers in this area with the inclusion of just eight papers.
Descriptors: Intellectual Disability, Internet, Family Role, Caregivers, Discussion Groups, Computer Mediated Communication, Social Isolation, Access to Information, Empathy, Sharing Behavior, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Sense of Community, Social Media, Foreign Countries, Research Reports, Parents
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa; Norway
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A