Effect of parenting stress in Korean mothers of children with disabilities on life satisfaction: Moderating effect of intrinsic religious orientation

Abstract

Background: With growing interest in parenting stress among mothers of children with disabilities, the current study examined the multidimensional aspects of parenting stress and their impact on life satisfaction among Korean mothers of children with disabilities. Based on the suggestions of prior findings concerning the potential role of intrapersonal resources on moderating parenting stress, the study focused on intrinsic religious orientation as one of the intrapersonal resources.

Method: Participants completed measures of three types of parenting stress (parental distress, parent-child dysfunctional interaction and difficult child), life satisfaction and religious orientation.

Results: Two subscales of parenting stress (i.e., parental distress and difficult child) had negative associations with life satisfaction. Intrinsic religious orientation weakened the relationship between parental distress and life satisfaction, especially among individuals who held moderate and high levels of intrinsic religious orientation.

Conclusion: These findings indicate the existence of differential associations between parenting stress type and life satisfaction in Korean mothers of children with disabilities. The current findings also identified the interrelationships between the religious resources and maternal parenting stress of children with disabilities. Intrapersonal religious resources have the potential to counterbalance the negative impact of maternal distress.

Keywords: Korean sample; intrinsic religious orientation; life satisfaction; parenting stress.