Investigation of hopelessness and depression levels of parents of children with special needs

This study was conducted to determine the levels of depression and hopelessness among parents of children with special needs. Of the participants, 68.7% were women, and the majority belonged to middle-income (39.3%) and low-income (36.7%) groups. Regarding educational level, the largest proportion of participants were high school graduates (38.7%). According to the type of special need, the most common group consisted of parents with children who have intellectual disabilities (49.3%). Based on the Beck Depression Inventory scores, the average depression score of the participants was 18.2 (SD = 7.86), which corresponds to a moderate level of depression. Depression scores of female parents were found to be significantly higher than those of male parents (p < .05). When evaluated by income level, parents in the low-income group exhibited significantly higher depression levels (p < .01). Similarly, as educational level decreased, an increase in depression scores was observed, and this relationship was statistically significant (p < .01). Furthermore, analysis according to the type of special need revealed that depression scores were higher among parents of children with intellectual or multiple disabilities compared to those with physically disabled children (p < .05). These findings indicate that caring for children with special needs increases psychological burden, particularly among women, individuals with low socioeconomic status, and those with lower educational attainment. These results highlight the importance of supporting the mental health of families with special needs children and the necessity of psychosocial interventions. Keywords: Special Needs Child, Depression, Hopelessness