Understanding Maternal Resilience: Narratives of Mothers Following a Down Syndrome Diagnosis and Birth
Leverenz, A., Horstman, H. K., Lukowski, A. F., & Bohanek, J. G. (2025). Communicated Resilience in Mothers’ Narratives about the Diagnosis and Birth of Their Child with Down Syndrome. Journal of Family Communication, 25(1), 17–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2024.2426240
A child’s diagnosis of Down syndrome can introduce a range of emotional and practical challenges for parents. A parent’s ability to cope with the stressors that come along with a Down syndrome diagnosis is important for facilitating healthy functioning for the parent and the family unit. Down syndrome (DS) is the most prevalent chromosomal condition, affecting one in every 733 babies born annually in the United States. This can be challenging, particularly because it’s associated with health and cognitive functioning, oftentimes developmental delays, and comorbid medical issues. Researchers at the University of Missouri are exploring mothers’ stories of their child’s diagnosis of Down syndrome. These mothers’ stories include managing overwhelming emotions, creating meaning, and leaning on their relationships to adapt to this unexpected news. Although previous research has looked at how parents feel after a diagnosis, this is one of the first studies to deeply explore how resilience is communicated through the mother’s own words.
The participants in this study were 44 mothers, primarily white. All participants were over the age of 18, with a child diagnosed with Down syndrome. The mothers were interviewed over video chats about their child’s Down syndrome diagnosis and the positive and negative emotions felt afterward. The research team analyzed these interviews and looked for patterns relating to resilience.
All five of the resilience strategies from the Communication Theory of Resilience were present in the mothers’ stories. The five coping strategies are: putting alternative logics to work, foregrounding productive action, maintaining and using communication networks, crafting normalcy, and affirming identity anchors. Specifically, the mothers called on “alternative logics” such as cognitive restructuring (e.g., exploring alternative ways of seeing the event) and humor to process the news. They also relied on their identity anchors, such as their employment or education, to build their confidence that they could handle the stressors associated with the diagnosis. The findings of this study have affected the way researchers see the resilience of mothers. This study shows that resilience is multi-layered, and the way mothers cope is very dynamic.
Parents who are facing a similar situation might be able to use this study’s findings to develop coping mechanisms and work through issues they are facing. It is helpful for parents to see that they are not alone in the way that they are feeling. Medical professionals and therapists could use the information found to help support mothers of children with Down syndrome. It is important that these mothers feel supported to improve their overall well-being.