The Subjective Well-Being of Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities: The Role of Hope as Predictor and Fosterer of Well-Being

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that can improve the subjective well-being (SWB) of parents of children with a developmental disability, expand the knowledge relating to the role of hope in their lives, and improve the extent to which parent appraisals of the influence of the disability (on the couple's relationship, family functioning, and personal development) moderate this association. The results revealed that parental SWB was below the societal average; however, it differed significantly across levels of parent appraisals of their child's disability. Findings from this study point to the importance of hope to improve parental SWB.

KEYWORDS:

• Attitudes toward disability
• autism
• disability frameworks
• hope
• parent appraisals
• parental perceptions
• parents of children with developmental disabilities
• subjective well-being