<p>While raising children with intellectual disabilities seems to affect parents’ mental health, the likelihood of social support to address such challenges has been unexplored. As part of the advocacy toward mainstreaming the well-being of parents who have children with disabilities, contextual evidence must be gathered regarding social support and parental mental health, which could be considered in future policy reforms. This study evaluated the nexus between mental health disorders and the availability of social support to parents raising children with intellectual disabilities in Ghana. Two hundred parents completed the following surveys: the Family Support Scale and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21. The data were subjected to correlation and moderation analyses via Andrew Haye’s Method 1. The results revealed a significant negative relationship between social support and mental health disorders. Parents’ gender and age marginally moderated the relationship between mental health disorders and social support. This study calls upon policymakers to facilitate the development of parent-to-parent support groups as part of efforts toward creating a strength-based system for parents who have been diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. Other study implications are discussed in detail.</p>

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Understanding the moderators of social support and mental health disorders of parents raising children with intellectual disabilities

  • Daniel Miezah,
  • Maxwell Peprah Opoku,
  • Ebenezer Mensah Gyimah,
  • Lilian Frimpomaa

摘要

While raising children with intellectual disabilities seems to affect parents’ mental health, the likelihood of social support to address such challenges has been unexplored. As part of the advocacy toward mainstreaming the well-being of parents who have children with disabilities, contextual evidence must be gathered regarding social support and parental mental health, which could be considered in future policy reforms. This study evaluated the nexus between mental health disorders and the availability of social support to parents raising children with intellectual disabilities in Ghana. Two hundred parents completed the following surveys: the Family Support Scale and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21. The data were subjected to correlation and moderation analyses via Andrew Haye’s Method 1. The results revealed a significant negative relationship between social support and mental health disorders. Parents’ gender and age marginally moderated the relationship between mental health disorders and social support. This study calls upon policymakers to facilitate the development of parent-to-parent support groups as part of efforts toward creating a strength-based system for parents who have been diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. Other study implications are discussed in detail.