Managing tensions at the intersection of spirituality and parents’ experiences of child disability in Oman: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Religious and spiritual beliefs hold profound significance for parents of children with disability in Oman, shaping how they interpret experience, construct meaning and navigate their lives. However, parents may experience tension when challenging events disrupt their fundamental beliefs, prompting a complex process of meaning-making that requires exploration. We conducted a qualitative study using in depth interviews (n = 11) supported by photovoice, to investigate how parents interpret and integrate challenging experiences within their spiritual and religious frameworks, and to explore the transformative understandings that emerge. Interpretive phenomenological analysis of interview and photographic data revealed that parents wove religious understandings of their children’s disabilities into their accounts. Their spiritual beliefs shaped their perceptions of their parenting roles, forming a Group Experiential Theme (GET) “Managing Tensions at the Intersection of Spirituality and Disability.” Two sub-themes described this process: “Why God, why did You give me this child?”: capturing efforts to reconcile their beliefs with their child’s disability, including shifts from viewing disability as punishment to seeing it as a divine gift. “I trust God”: Prayers of faith–illustrating practices parents used to sustain faith and seek divine support. These findings highlight the influence of religious beliefs on coping strategies and sensemaking processes, offering implications for culturally attuned interventions.