The relationship of spiritual well-being and social support perceptions of parents of children with special needs with psychological resilience

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between spiritual well-being and perceptions of social support and psychological resilience of parents with children with special needs. Material and Method: This descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 257 parents of children with special needs enrolled in any of the 10 special education and rehabilitation centers in Cizre. Information Form, Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), Revised Parental Social Support Scale (PRSS) and Psychological Resilience Scale (PRS) were used to collect data. Data was collected between October 30, 2024 and January 15, 2025. Results: It was determined that the total scores of women were higher than those of men, and the mean scores of SWBS, PRS and PRSS increased as the level of education increased. It was found that the mean total scores of the parents who were not working and whose income was less than their expenditures were higher than the other groups, and the mean scores of the parents whose number of children increased, the mean scores of the parents who were not working and whose income was less than their expenditures decreased. It was found that as parents' spiritual well-being and perceptions of social support increased, their psychological resilience increased. As the determinants of PRS, it was determined that the level of education, employment status and income status were statistically significant. Conclusion: As a result of this study, it can be said that spiritual well-being and social support perceptions of parents should be strengthened in order to increase their psychological resilience. It is important to provide parents with children with special needs with the informational and instrumental support they may need, such as care, education, health and financial aid, and to conduct studies by addressing their spiritual dimensions.