The effect of parentification behaviors of children with special needs siblings on their emotional and psychological well-being and hope levels

Parentification behaviors lead children to assume adult roles at an early age. Particularly in families with individuals with special needs, children may take on roles not only as siblings but also as caregivers and providers of emotional support. These assumed responsibilities may affect children's well-being and expectations for the future. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of parentification behaviors on emotional and psychological well-being and levels of hope in children who have siblings with special needs. The study sample consisted of 385 children aged between 11 and 18 who attend middle and high schools in the Tarsus district of Mersin, Turkey, and have siblings with special needs. Participants completed a Demographic Information Form, the Parentification Inventory, the Stirling Children's Emotional and Psychological Well Being Scale, and the Children's Hope Scale. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 27 statistical software package. A normality test was conducted, and the data were found to be normally distributed. Based on this, analyses were performed using parametric tests, including the independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis. The findings revealed that the perceived benefit subdimension of parentification behavior had a significant positive effect on emotional and psychological well-being. In addition, a strong, positive, and statistically significant correlation was found between levels of hope and emotional and psychological well being in children.