What is ‘sibling support’? Defining the social support sector serving siblings of people with disability

Abstract

‘Sibling support’ is a form of support for the brothers and sisters of people with disability within medical, health and social care practice, promoting outcomes for them such as improved self-expression, mental health, wellbeing, skills and networks. There has been significant research interest in sibling support, however most has only evaluated individual interventions. There has been little-to-no research that has examined what sibling support is as a sector or overall field of practice. This paucity of research on sibling support as a field of practice is a problematic gap as it prevents recognition of sibling support as a distinct service type/sector, and may ultimately prevent sibling support from getting due support, acknowledgement, funding and promotion.Drawing on a study of national-level sibling support providers in the USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, this article therefore seeks to describe sibling support as a sector and field of practice: the principles underpinning it, purposes/functions it addresses and delivery methods used. The article also discusses variation and emerging practice between sibling support providers, as well as the importance and implications of the findings for building greater recognition of sibling support within medicine, health and social care, particularly within the context of policy changes and increasing conditions of austerity, requiring more targeted decisions about what service types service systems support and promote.