Marital Cohesion and Perceived Stress in Parents of Children with Special Educational Needs: A Study of the Impact on Couple Dynamics

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The presence of a child with special educational needs (SENs) necessitates that both the child and their family engage in adaptive processes and develop resilience in response to the developmental challenges that arise following an SENs diagnosis. Furthermore, it is critical to examine the impact of such a diagnosis on parental marital cohesion. Despite the recognized importance of this issue, the effects of SENs diagnoses on marital cohesion and flexibility, and the perceived stress experienced by parents, remain underexplored in the extant literature. METHODS: Forty-seven participants (23 parents of children diagnosed with SENs and 24 parents of typically developing children, all aged between 32 and 60 years) completed this study. The instruments used were the Family Cohesion and Flexibility Evaluation Scale (couple version) and the Perceived Stress Scale. RESULTS: No direct relationship was found between the SENs diagnosis and marital cohesion or flexibility. Furthermore, the perceived stress did not mediate the association between these variables. Nonetheless, both groups exhibited high levels of perceived stress. CONCLUSIONS: These results underscore the necessity for further investigation into the role of emotional support and coping strategies in alleviating the perceived stress among parents and caregivers of children with SENs. A deeper understanding of these factors is essential for the development of interventions aimed at promoting parental well-being and enhancing the quality of caregiving.