תהליך התביעה להכרה בנכות רפואית על בסיס נפשי במוסד לביטוח לאומי: תפיסותיהם של לקוחות

Background: Parents of children with disabilities tend to experience increased stress and decreased well-being, yet they may also experience personal growth. Nevertheless, there has been a limited number of studies of personal growth among parents of children with disabilities.Aims: (1) To examine the differences in social support, stress, hope and personal growth between parents of children with and without disabilities; (2)To explain the personal growth experienced by parents of children with and without disabilities, based on their stress level, social support, and hope.Methods: An online survey was completed by 56 parents of children with disabilities and 64 parents of children without disabilities. Path analysis was conducted to examine the mediating role of hope.Main Findings: Parents of children with disabilities reported lower levels of hope and personal growth compared to parents of children without disabilities. No significant differences were found in social support and stress levels. Among parents of children with disabilities, personal growth was explained directly by social support and stress. Increased support and decreased stress predicted personal growth. Hope mediated the association between stress and social support with personal growth. Increased social support and lower stress contributed to hope, and hope was, in turn,associated with increased personal growth.Conclusions and Implications for practice/policy: There is a need to develop supportive programs targeted at parents of children with disabilities that alleviate stress and increase hope, thus encouraging personal growth.