Social involvement, socio-economic status and subjective well-being of parents of offspring with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Background: The study explores whether households' socio-economic status and social involvement can moderate the association between stress and subjective well-being among parents of offspring with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Method: The random national sample comprised 301 parents caring for offspring with IDD. Measurements consist of a household income survey, a questionnaire on resources and stress, a social involvement questionnaire and a personal well-being index. Using PROCESS software, a regression-based path analysis has been used to test the moderating effect of social involvement and socio-economic status on the association between stress and subjective well-being. Results: Social involvement moderated the association between parental stress and subjective well-being. At high levels of parental stress only, parents with increased social involvement reported better subjective well-being. Significant interaction was observed between stress and socio-economic status. Conclusions: Among parents raising offspring with IDD, social involvement may enhance the relationship between parental stress and subjective well-being. At lower stress levels, better socio-economic status is associated with increased subjective well-being.