Parental stress and social support: exploring the challenges of raising children with special needs

This study examines the relationship between perceived social support and parental stress among parents of children with special needs, and evaluates how demographic factors influence this relationship. Social support, defined as the help, attention, understanding, and solidarity perceived from one's social environment, serves as a critical buffer against stress, particularly for parents of children with special care needs. Understanding whether higher perceived support reduces stress is vital for sustaining families' psychosocial well-being. A quantitative correlational survey design was used with a sample of 221 parents from various regions of Turkey. Data were collected using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Parental Stress Scale. Analyses included ANOVA for group differences and Pearson correlation for relational testing. Findings revealed a moderately negative, statistically significant correlation between perceived social support and stress (r = -0.54, p < .001), indicating that higher perceived social support was associated with lower stress. Parents reporting low support reported the highest stress. Education and income were positively associated with perceived support and inversely related to stress, while no significant differences were observed by type of disability (Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual/Learning Disability). These results highlight social support as a protective factor that mitigates parental stress. Strengthening support mechanisms within family-based intervention programs is recommended, particularly for families with lower levels of education and income. This study contributes to the literature on stress and support in families of children with special needs and offers valuable implications for social work, counseling, and special education policy.