The multiple mediator role of family resilience and self-compassion in the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-being of the parents of children with special needs

This study aims to test the hypothesized model, including the multiple mediator role of family resilience and self-compassion in the relationship between perceived stress and the psychological well-being of the parents of children with special needs. A total of 447 parents of children with special needs (Mothers= 278, 62.2%; Fathers= 169, 37.8%) participated in the study. The participants are between 21 and 59 years old. Psychological Well-Being Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Family Resilience Rating Scale, Self- Compassion Scale, and Personal Information Form were used to collect the research data. To examine the relationships between the variables, mediation analyses were conducted in line with Hayes' (2013) multiple mediation analysis. Bootstrap coefficients and confidence intervals were determined by applying bootstrap through 5000 samples to examine whether the indirect effects were significant. The research results revealed that self-compassion and family resilience have a mediating role in the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-being among parents of children with special needs. In other words, it shows that stress levels tend to decrease as the levels of family resilience and self-compassion of the parents of children with special needs increase. It also shows that the high levels of family resilience and self-compassion have a buffering effect that reduces the negative effect of perceived stress on the parents' psychological well-being. This study also found that family resilience and self-compassion have a mediator role in both mothers and fathers. The results of the study highlight the importance of including strategies to increase family resilience and self-compassion in studies designed to reduce stress levels and escalate the psychological well-being of parents with special needs.