The predictive role of coping styles and sense of coherence in the post-traumatic growth of mothers with disabled children: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Coping and accepting stressful events can lead to positive psychological changes, growth, and excellence. In this regard, the present study was conducted to determine the relationship between coping styles and sense of coherence with post-traumatic growth in mothers with disabled children in Bushehr (a southern city in Iran). METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was performed on 260 mothers with children with disabilities who were filed in the rehabilitation centers covered by the Welfare Department of Bushehr in 2018. Demographic information form, Tedeschi and Calhoun post-traumatic growth questionnaire, Antonovsky sense of coherence, and Billings and Moos coping styles were employed to collect data. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis at a significance level of less than 0.05. RESULTS: The mean age and standard deviation were 35.83 ± 7.41 for the mothers, and 7.20 ± 4.05 for the children. The mean and standard deviation of post-traumatic growth was 64.88 ± 14.90, sense of coherence was 116.36 ± 22.65 and coping styles was 30.59 ± 6.39. The results of linear regression show that only the two dimensions of meaningfulness (p = 0.013 and β = 0.170) and manageability from the sense of coherence (p = 0.001 and β = 0.432) can predict post-traumatic growth in mothers with disabled children in Bushehr. Also, from the coping style dimensions, only the emotion-focused variable (p = 0.001 and β = 0.353) is a predictor of post-traumatic growth. CONCLUSION: Considering the role of sense of coherence and coping style in predicting post-traumatic growth, to implement rehabilitation programs and support the families of these children, it is essential to plan for the development of social and psychological support for mothers with disabled children.