The Relationship between Family Social Support and Self-efficacy of Mothers of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Background: Self-efficacy can play a role not only in a person›s feelings towards herself but also in achieving goals. This concept, which makes up the central core of Bandura›s social cognitive theory, emphasizes the role of observational learning and social experience in creating individuals’ personalities. Accordingly, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between family social support and self-efficacy of mothers of children with intellectual disabilities. Methods: The participants in this cross-sectional study were selected through convenience sampling. The research sample consisted of 55 mothers of children with intellectual disabilities studying in primary schools for exceptional children (aged 7 to 12) in Tehran, Iran. Data were collected using the Family Social Support Questionnaire and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. The normality of the data distribution was checked using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The correlation between the variables was assessed through the Pearson’s correlation test with SPSS version 25 software. Results: The data showed a significant positive correlation (r=0.624) between family social support (with a mean score of 242.53) and the self-efficacy of mothers of students with intellectual disabilities (with a mean score of 48.51) (P<0.001). There were also significant relationships between different support dimensions (emotional, informational, instrumental, and seeking support) and self-efficacy (P<0.001), and the correlation coefficients for them were 0.515, 0.427, 0.753, and 767, respectively. Seeking support and instrumental support had a higher correlation with self-efficacy. Conclusion: The findings confirmed social support and all its components (emotional support, informational support, instrumental support, and seeking support) had a direct and positive relationship with the self-efficacy of mothers with intellectually disabled children. Educational and clinical planners and experts can plan effective interventions to gain awareness of and access to social family support and promote self-efficacy and mental health in mothers of children with intellectual disabilities.