The Relationship Between Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth Among the Primary Caregivers of Children With Developmental Disabilities: The Mediating Role of Positive Coping Style and Self-Efficacy.

Wan Lu,Chen Xu,Qianhui Zhang,Xiankang Hu,Ju Liu,Li Peng,Wenzao Li,Min Li

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.765530

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between posttraumatic growth (PTG), resilience, positive coping style, and self-efficacy among the primary caregivers of children with developmental disorders in Chongqing, China. A total of 198 primary caregivers (parents and grandparents) aged from 22 to 66 years old (M = 35.55, SD = 9.16), including 155 females (78.3%) and 43 males (21.7%), were enrolled. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and General Self-Efficacy Scale were used for data collection. The results found that PTG could be positively predicted by resilience. Positive coping style and self-efficacy mediated the relationship between resilience and PTG. The different levels of PTG were determined by the resident location, monthly income and education of the primary caregivers. The results suggest that it is critical to improve the mental health of the primary caregivers (parents and grandparents) of children with developmental disabilities. Our results also provide a scientific basis for future research.

Highlights

In China, approximately 4.04 million (6.65%) children are diagnosed with developmental disabilities (Olusanya et al, 2018)
The results showed that the total effect of resilience on posttraumatic growth (PTG) was significant (τ = 0.904, P < 0.001), and after the mediation variables of positive coping style and self-efficacy were put into the model, the direct effect was statistically non-significant (τ = 0.291, P = 0.075)
Our results confirmed the hypothesis: (1) higher resilience was associated with higher levels of PTG, consistent with previous findings (Kalisch et al, 2015; Qin et al, 2021), and the primary caregivers with higher resilience were more likely to actively seek multiple ways of solving problems, to take the initiative to obtain relevant knowledge and more accept their reality, to face their children with optimism, and to try to return to a normal life (Owens, 2016); (2) for the mediating role of self-efficacy, primary caregivers with higher resilience acquired a sense of achievement when handling pressure-related problems, which enhanced their sense of self–efficacy and promoted more PTG; and (3) positive coping style played a stronger mediating role in the relationship between resilience and PTG

Summary

Introduction

In China, approximately 4.04 million (6.65%) children are diagnosed with developmental disabilities (Olusanya et al, 2018). The impact of a diagnosis of developmental disabilities in children on primary caregivers has become better understood (Ribeiro et al, 2016). Caregiving for children who have been diagnosed with developmental disabilities leads adverse psychological health effects such as stress (Meadan et al, 2010; Zaidman-Zait et al, 2017), The Positive Psychology of Posttraumatic Growth depression (Davis and Carter, 2008; Picardi et al, 2018), and anxiety (Al-Farsi et al, 2016; Sohmaran and Shorey, 2019) and has physical health impacts such as frequent challenges sleeping (Levin and Scher, 2016), eating (Bouma and Schweitzer, 1990) or communicating and behavioral and health complications (Ying et al, 2021). Under the influence of positive psychology, researchers have shifted their research focus to positive changes in individuals, such as posttraumatic growth (Hefferon et al, 2009), resilience (Aburn et al, 2016), positive coping style and self-efficacy (Luque Salas et al, 2017) and other similar concepts

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Discussion

Conclusion