Negative social interactions and coping behaviors: experiences of Japanese mothers caring for children with special needs in disaster areas

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify the challenging experiences pertaining negative social interactions and the coping behaviors of mothers of children with special needs after two major earthquakes in Japan. A qualitative content analysis was conducted based on the interviews of 26 mothers of children with special needs who had experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 or Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016. RESULTS: The themes extracted were “perceiving pressures and unfairness,” “failing to obtain support and deeper understanding,” “realizing child’s characteristics that are difficult for others to understand,” and “tackling challenges on their own in different ways.” The experienced negative social interactions and coping behaviors were found to be similar in both earthquakes. Although the Japanese legislation was amended 2 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, it may not have had necessarily improved the mothers’ situations. Thus, while it is important to provide specific support for families of children with special needs after natural disasters and organize food supplies with a focus on family units, it is also important to increase Japanese society’s understanding of the varied characteristics of disabilities.