Mediating Effects of Perceived Control in the Relationship Between Optimism and Adjustment in Parents of Children with Disabilities

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
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Abstract

Parents of children with disabilities are at increased risk of psychosocial maladjustment yet many parents adapt well. This study aimed to investigate the potential mediating effects of perceived control of internal states in the optimism-adjustment relationship in a sample of parents of children with disabilities. Eighty-three parents with children enrolled in various early intervention centres and special development schools in Victoria, Australia, completed the Life Orientation Test-Revised, the Perceived Control of Internal States scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Bréf scale. Perceived control was found to partially mediate the optimism-adjustment relationship. Interventions incorporating practical methods of increasing optimism and perceived control of internal states may enhance the adjustment of parents of children with disabilities.

Keywords

Disabilities Parental adjustment Optimism Perceived control 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Faculty of Education, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia

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