Professional Services as Support: Perceptions of Parents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the social support function of professional services from the perspective of parents. Interviews were conducted with 131 mothers and fathers of children/adults in three age cohorts. Parent-perceived stress was measured on five point Likert type scales. The study revealed a discrepancy between the importance attributed by parents to types of “help“ from services and help received by them. The proposition that services are more likely to be used by parents experiencing stress was supported and the data were interpreted as being consistent with highly stressed parents utilizing and receiving help from services and subsequently experiencing a reduction in stress.