Journal of Social Science and Human Research Studies (JSSHRS)

The Subjective Experience of Cameroonian Siblings Confronted with the Intellectual Disability of One of Their Members in Cameroon

Donfack, Janine Zoé, Tcholong, Clémence Idriss Konfo, Nguimfack, Léonard

30 March 2026 · Vol. 2, Issue 3, pp. 304-309

DOI: 10.65150/EP-jsshrs/V2E3/2026-17

Abstract

A child’s intellectual disability affects the family in general and siblings in particular. This hinders the identification process within the sibling group, which is often subject to stigmatization by those around them. It is within this context that this article explores the subjective experience of Cameroonian siblings confronted with the intellectual disability of one of their members in Cameroon. The study is based on a fundamentally qualitative clinical method, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with three sibling groups, each including one member with an intellectual disability. These data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The results show that the siblings’ subjective experience of intellectual disability is characterized by a mixed awareness of the disability, feelings of rejection and stigmatization, feelings of pain, sadness, and tolerance, as well as a sense of sibling unity and complicity. These findings can be used to support siblings of children with disabilities in general, and those with intellectual disabilities in particular.

Keywords: Intellectual disability, siblings, subjective experience, sibling relationship, Cameroon

Read the full text on Journal of Social Science and Human Research Studies →The full peer-reviewed article and PDF are hosted on the journal's site (the version of record).

Donfack, Janine Zoé, Tcholong, Clémence Idriss Konfo, Nguimfack, & Léonard (2026). The Subjective Experience of Cameroonian Siblings Confronted with the Intellectual Disability of One of Their Members in Cameroon. Journal of Social Science and Human Research Studies, 2(3), 304-309. https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jsshrs/V2E3/2026-17

@article{Donfack2026,
  title   = {The Subjective Experience of Cameroonian Siblings Confronted with the Intellectual Disability of One of Their Members in Cameroon},
  author  = {Donfack and Janine Zoé and Tcholong and Clémence Idriss Konfo and Nguimfack and Léonard},
  journal = {Journal of Social Science and Human Research Studies},
  year    = {2026},
  volume  = {2},
  number  = {3},
  pages   = {304-309},
  doi     = {10.65150/EP-jsshrs/V2E3/2026-17},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jsshrs/V2E3/2026-17}
}

← Back to all articles