Journal of Student Research 2021

Journal of Student Research 56 less education than their comparison group and may be less likely to be married, or more likely to be unemployed (Wolfe, et al., 2014). Moreover, differences existing within the adult siblings themselves have been identified in gender differences, such as sisters identifying more positive impacts in their personal characteristics and feeling closer to their sibling with a disability than brothers (Hodapp, et al., 2010). The objective of this research is to explore and identify potential ramifications of having a sibling with a disability in adult life. The results of this study will help add to the current data surrounding adults with a sibling with a disability and identify areas that may benefit from interventions through specific family or social support in education or personal relationships. A self-reported survey was utilized to identify differences in marital status, level of education, employment status, how participants viewed themselves in specific traits, and perceived emotional closeness to the sibling with or without a disability. Literature Review The purpose of this literature review is to explore research which addresses the experiences and effects that the subject group experiences when raised with a sibling living with a disability. Having a sibling with a disability has different effects when compared to a typically developing sibling, and effects can vary through their personal and professional lives. Research has shown that the impacts of having a sibling with a disability are affected by both the type of disability (developmental, sensory, emotional, or physical health) and gender of the adult sibling without a disability (Hodapp, et al., 2010). Currently, there is a paucity of information about the experiences of siblings and much of the existing information is not self-reported; usually it comes from the parent’s perspective. Additionally, the impact on the subject group has contradictory findings, with both positive and negative consequences existing (Tomeny, et al., 2017; Tozer, et al., 2013). Adults in the subject group face different challenges than adults without a sibling with a disability because of the different roles, experiences, and stressors like parental divorce, unemployment, binge drinking, or health problems that intersect (Wolfe, et al., 2014). Marriage status, employment, roles the sibling plays, and personal characteristics change when a sibling has a disability. This topic is close to me, as I identify as an adult sibling of two people with disabilities. My experience knowing other siblings through my personal life or social media support groups is that they also experience emotional or behavioral symptoms related to certain disabilities and even trauma from having a sibling with a disability that impacts their lives, and that they often do not feel supported or recognized by their family because their sibling with a disability may be the parent’s priority.

Marital Status

Marital status has been found to have a positive and negative impact on the subject group in multiple studies. For example, siblings of adults with mental illness have been found to have both an increased rate of divorce and a decreased rate of ever having been married (Wolfe, et al., 2014). This may be attributed to the onset of mental illnesses during the adult years, meaning that siblings without a disability are