Psychological characteristics of resilience in parents of children with special educational needs

Abstract

The article examines the psychological characteristics of resilience in parents of children with special educational needs. The relevance of the study is determined by the high level of parental stress and the predominance of psycho-emotional burden in families of this category, which necessitates the identification of psychological resources for adaptation.

The study involved an analysis of contemporary scientific literature, revealing the essence of the concept of resilience, its structural components, as well as factors influencing the development of resilience in parents of children with special educational needs. Particular attention was paid to emotional, cognitive, social, and meaning-related aspects.

The empirical study was conducted using a cross-sectional design, with parents of children with special educational needs selected as participants (N = 40). Parental resilience was assessed using the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), parental stress was measured by the Parenting Stress Index – Short Form (PSI-SF), self-efficacy was evaluated using the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and perceived social support was assessed with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS).

The results demonstrated a negative correlation between parental resilience and parental stress (r = −0.56), as well as positive correlations with self-efficacy (r = 0.62) and social support (r = 0.48). These findings indicate that parents’ psychological resilience depends on the interaction of personal and social resources.

The study concludes that the development of resilience is a key factor in enhancing parents’ ability to adapt to stressful situations, improving psychological well-being, and ensuring effective family functioning. The obtained results can be applied in the development of psychological support programs for parents and in the practice of inclusive education.