Learned Resourcefulness and Coping with Stress in Mothers of Children with Disabilities

Abstract

Problem Statement: Research has indicated that some mothers can cope with stressful life conditions and continue their lives normally, whereas others are unable to overcome such challenging conditions. Recent research has shown that mothers of children with disabilities are likely to know more about why some mothers have relatively well-adjusted lives despite stressful conditions, as well as why they cope better with these conditions than others. However, to date, studies in Turkey have only concentrated on the degree to which mothers of children with disabilities feel stress and which coping ways they use to curb the negative effects of stress. Purpose of the Study: This study aimed to examine the relationships between learned resourcefulness and ways of coping with stress. Methods: The study sample consisted of 222 mothers of children attending special education institutions during the 2011–2012 academic year in Sakarya, Turkey. The Self-Control Schedule and Ways of Coping Inventory were used to assess learned resourcefulness and coping strategies, the relationships among which investigated using Pearson