The Relationship between Social Support and Well-Being of Parents of Children with Special Needs

Authors

  • Nikki Joan Katsiotas Fordham University, New York, NY
  • Yi Ding Fordham University, New York, NY
  • Vincent C. Alfonso Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, USA NY, USA
  • Akane Zusho Fordham University, New York, NY
  • Anqi Zhang Fordham University, New York, NY
  • Yangqian Shen Fordham University, New York, NY

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.1301.19078

Keywords:

Social support, Special Education, Special needs, Parenting, Well-being

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to conduct an exploratory investigation to determine how to best conceptualize social support for parents of children with special needs and to identify which dimensions of support may be most relevant for interventions. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to investigate the factor structure of perceived social support. The results indicated that tangible support, information support, emotional support, and negative social contact each represented distinct dimensions of social support. Regression analyses were then conducted to determine which dimensions were most relevant to well-being. The results indicated that negative social contact and emotional support had significant direct effects on the well-being variables and that emotional support had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between stress and negative affect. Overall, the results suggest that social support for parents of children with special needs is best conceptualized as a multidimensional construct.

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Published

2026-01-25

How to Cite

Katsiotas, N. J., Ding, Y., Alfonso, V. C., Zusho, A., Zhang, A., & Shen, Y. (2026). The Relationship between Social Support and Well-Being of Parents of Children with Special Needs . Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 13(01), 112–135. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.1301.19078

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 01 (2026): Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Nikki Joan Katsiotas, Yi Ding, Vincent C. Alfonso, Akane Zusho, Anqi Zhang, Yangqian Shen

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