Psychological Distress and Spiritual Well-Being in Mothers of Children With Disabilities: The Longitudinal Mediation Role of Coping Through Meaning

Mothers of children with disabilities often face persistent caregiving demands that elevate psychological distress and may adversely affect spiritual well-being, a key psychological resource related to meaning and life purpose. Drawing on stress and coping frameworks, the present study examined coping through meaning as a longitudinal mediating mechanism linking psychological distress to spiritual well-being among mothers of children with disabilities. Using a semi-longitudinal design, data were collected at two time points separated by three months from a final sample of 343 Turkish mothers of children with disabilities ( M age = 34.65, SD = 5.64). A cross-lagged panel model within a structural equation modeling framework was estimated. Psychological distress at Time 1 negatively predicted coping through meaning at Time 2 ( β = −.183, p < .01, 95% CI[−.318, −.043]). Coping through meaning at Time 1 positively predicted spiritual well-being at Time 2 ( β = .277, p < .01, 95% CI[.166, .386]), and psychological distress at Time 1 also showed a direct negative effect on spiritual well-being at Time 2 ( β = −.129, p < .01, 95% CI[−.244, −.016]). Mediation analyses indicated a significant indirect effect of psychological distress on spiritual well-being via coping with meaning (standardized indirect effect = −.034, 95% CI [−.052, −.010]), indicating partial longitudinal mediation. These findings suggest that psychological distress undermines mothers’ ability to engage in meaning-making, which in turn contributes to reduced spiritual well-being over time. The results highlight coping through meaning as a key psychological mechanism and have implications for meaning-centered interventions in psychological counseling and family support programs.