Perceived Social Support and Parental Burden among Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Correlational Study

Abstract

This research looked into how parents of kids with developmental challenges view their access to help from others, alongside feelings of stress tied to parenting. Selected through targeted recruitment, both mothers and fathers took part in a numerical analysis exploring links between variables. To collect responses, two established tools were applied: the MSPSS – developed in 1988 by Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, and Farley – and the ZBI, introduced in 1980 by Zarit, Reever, and Bach-Peterson. Alongside these, background details such as age, sex, and household makeup were recorded. Analysis happened afterward using SPSS, a system built for examining social science data. Among families raising kids with developmental challenges, how much help they feel they receive connects closely to their sense of strain. Though not every parent reports the same experience, those noticing stronger backing from others often carry less emotional weight. When support feels available, stress tends to ease – this pattern emerged clearly in the data. What stands out is how relationships around the caregiver shape daily coping, even without formal services involved.