The Influence of Social Support on the Stress Level of Parents with Disabled Children

This study investigated the relationship between social support and stress in 572 families of disabled children in various parts of the United States. To utilize multidimensional models such as Dunst\u27s ecological model and the Double ABCX model of stress, additional variables were investigated; these included family characteristics and recent life events (FILE). A regression design was used, with family characteristics, recent life events (FILE), perceived helpfulness of social support (FSS), and perceived adequacy of resources (FRS) as independent variables, and parental stress (PSI) as the dependent variable (PSI). Helpfulness of social support, recent life events, and family characteristics all predicted parental stress, though only to a small extent. Perceived adequacy of resources was by far the most significant predictor, accounting for 21% of the total variance in the highest predicting equation. Discussion focuses on perceived family needs and resources within cooperative interventions