Well-being of mothers of children with orthopedic disabilities in a disadvantaged context: findings from Turkey

Abstract

Identifying the factors that are associated with well-being of mothers of children with special needs is the first step for developing and implementing relevant social policies. In this research, we focused on subjective well-being of mothers of 105 Turkish children with orthopedic disabilities who came from a disadvantaged background; and investigated its association with child’s health, parental stress, social support, and socio-economic status. Results showed that well-being of mothers was not significantly linked with child’s health; but was closely associated with economic and social factors and stress. The findings are discussed with regard to the challenges of having a child with special needs and the available support systems in developing countries.