Positive aspects of the coping of mothers of adolescent children with developmental disability in the Bedouin community in Israel

•Bedouin mothers of adolescent children with DD experience positive aspects of coping.•Social support, gratitude and personal growth were ranked higher by study group.•Bedouin mothers felt more gratitude toward the spouse's parents than their own.•Gratitude and personal growth, and gratitude and support correlated in study group.•Positive aspects of coping can help mothers in culturally-modified support programs.

This research examines the positive aspects of coping experienced by 270 mothers of adolescent children with and without a developmental disability in the Bedouin community. The mothers completed the Sociodemographic Data Questionnaire, the Grandparents Functional Support Assessment, the Gratitude Questionnaire, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Mothers of adolescent children with developmental disability reported higher levels of social support, gratitude, and personal growth than did mothers of adolescent children without developmental disability. Additionally, mothers demonstrated a higher level of gratitude toward their spouse's parents. Positive correlation was also found between gratitude and personal growth and between gratitude and support from the husband's parents. The findings highlight the important need to develop awareness and culturally appropriate intervention programs based on these positive aspects, to enhance these mothers’ coping abilities.