Defence mechanisms used by families with disabled individuals and the effect of psychological resilience on stigmatisation

This research aims to examine the defense mechanisms used by families with disabled individuals and the effect of psychological resilience on stigma. The main focus of the research is the psychosocial difficulties experienced by families with disabled children and ways to cope with these difficulties. The research is valuable in terms of contributing to the determination of strategies to reduce the stigma faced by families with disabled children and increase psychological resilience. 250 parents of disabled children who were educated in schools and private rehabilitation centers affiliated to Tokat Provincial Directorate of National Education participated in the study, in which the quantitative research method was used. The survey method was used to collect data in the study, and the survey included the Personal Information Form, Adult Psychological Resilience Scale, Defense Forms Test and Parents' Internalized Stigma of Mental Illnesses Scale (ERHIDS). Data analysis was carried out using SPSS v26 program. Demographic data were examined with frequency analysis, and the reliability of the scales was evaluated with Cronbach Alpha coefficients. Whether the data showed a normal distribution was checked with skewness and kurtosis coefficients. The relationships between variables were examined with Pearson correlation analysis, and the effects of defense mechanisms and stigma on psychological resilience were evaluated using regression analyses. The results of the study show that parents of disabled individuals experience high levels of internalized stigma, but have strong psychological resilience characteristics. Significant relationships have been found between defense mechanisms and psychological resilience, and some defense mechanisms have been found to be effective in reducing stigma. As a result, the importance of supportive interventions to increase the psychological resilience of these families and develop strategies to cope with stigma is emphasized.