Manifestations of the viability (resilience) of parents raising children with disabilities

Pacific National University, Khabarovsk, Russia

^* Corresponding author: elenat3004@mail.ru

Abstract

The paper presents the results of an empirical study of the viability, hardiness and life satisfaction index of parents raising children with disabilities in Khabarovsk city, Russian Federation. According to the results of the study, parents who raise children with disabilities show deteriorated performance on all tests. As a result of the analysis on the viability tests and the “life satisfaction index”, statistically significant differences were revealed between the two groups of the sample; on the hardiness test, such differences were shown only on one of the scales. It was found that viability for parents of children with disabilities is not a full resource. The study confirmed the key role of the indicator “meaningfulness of life” as a “vertical” factor of viability. According to the data obtained using the “Life satisfaction index” test, the most powerful influence on the value of the life satisfaction index of parents raising children with disabilities is provided by indicators of consistency between goals set and achieved and the general mood background. In addition, these indicators also strongly correlate with each other. The results of the study showed that both groups of parents who participated in the study demonstrated sufficient ability to withstand a stressful situation. Parents raising children with disabilities have a low value of the indicator “control” as an emotional and volitional element of the scale.