Parenting Stress: The Role of Self-Compassion and Self-Efficacy in Mothers of Children with Special Needs

Abstract

Parents of children with special needs are more likely to experience parenting stress. This is because children with special needs require additional support and guidance from their parents. This study aims to investigate the role of self-compassion and self-efficacy in predicting parenting stress among mothers of children with special needs. Participants in this study were 54 mothers who had children with special needs. The measuring instruments used were the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, the Self-Compassion Scale, and the Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale. The data analysis techniques used were simple and multiple regression analysis. Based on the results of multiple regression analysis, it was found that self-compassion and self-efficacy play a role that tends to be weak in relation to parenting stress. This means that self-compassion and self-efficacy affect a small part of the level of parenting stress and are more dominantly influenced by other variables not examined in the study.