The relationship between accepting – rejecting levels and life satisfacion of parents of children with mental disabilities or otism spectrum disorder

The aim of this study is to analyze therelationship between accepting- rejecting levels and life satisfaction of parents of children with mental disabilities or otism spectrum disorder. In addition, the effects of gender, age, education level, an income rate on the accepting- rejecting levels and life satisfaction of parents were invetigated. The population of the study consisted parents of children with mental disabilities or otism spectrum disorder from a rehabilitation centre in Şişli - İstanbul. The Demographic Informatin Form, Parental Acceptance-Rejection/Control Questionaire, Life Satisfaction Scale were adminestred to the parents to measure the variables. Independent Sample t Test, Anova and Pearson Correlation Analysis were used in the analysis of the obtained data. According to the socio-demographic characteristics of the survey; the scores of men on the neglect subscale were higher than the scores on the neglect subscale of women, women's control subscale scores were higher than men's control subscale scores. The scores of the life satisfaction scale of the parents who graduated from the university were higher than the scores of the life satisfaction scale of the highschool graduates and lower education levels. The scores of the rejection scale of the secondary school graduates and lower education levels were higher than the scores of the university graduates rejection scale. In addition; as the scores of the parents' life satisfaction scale increased, the scores of warmth - compassion, hostility, neglect, rejection and parental acceptence rejection decreased. At the discussion part of the study, suggestions were made for researchers and psychological counselors on the basis of findings.