Table 1_Managing stigma and reconstructing caregiver identity: a qualitative descriptive study of family caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in China.docx

However, less is known about how they experience and manage stigma in everyday social encounters and reconstruct a valued caregiver identity. This study aimed to explore these experiences among family caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in China.</p>Methods<p>A qualitative descriptive design was used.

Twenty family caregivers were recruited from a tertiary hospital in China using purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured, one-to-one interviews and analysed using inductive content analysis.</p>Results<p>Twenty family caregivers participated in the study. Analysis generated four themes: (1) becoming a caregiver: disrupted expectations and expanded family roles; (2) living under the gaze: stigma and social judgment in public and family encounters; (3) managing stigma in everyday interactions: concealment, disclosure, and resistance; and (4) rebuilding a valued caregiver identity through responsibility, support, and meaning-making.