Parental coping with adolescent developmental disabilities in terms of stress, sense of coherence and hope within the Druze community of Israel

Background: Many studies have examined the coping resources of parents of children with disabilities but most have involved Western families and only a few refer to unique and traditional cultures. Aim: This study sought to compare Druze parents of adolescents with and without developmental disabilities (DD) in the context of Druze traditions and beliefs and whether they may lead to better coping by parents of a child with DD. The study used the measures of stress; sense of coherence (SOC) - an orientation towards the world which reflects an ongoing confidence that things fall into place in a logical and meaningful way; and hope. Methods and procedures: The sample group consisted of 99 Druze parents of adolescents with and without DD enrolled in regular and special schools in Israel. The parents were asked to complete four questionnaires on demography, stress, SOC (Sense of coherence) and hope. Outcomes and results: The research findings indicate a higher sense of parental stress and a lower overall SOC, particularly meaningfulness, and hope among parents of adolescents with DD. There was no difference between the two groups of parents with respect to marital, economic and overall stress or in the other two components of SOC. Conclusions and implications: The results of the study partly contradict the assumption in the limited literature about Druze that they may cope better with life stressors as a result of their traditions and beliefs. The results also indicate the need for further research and culturally-based intervention programs.