The mediating impact of coping style on stress perception for parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Research reveals that parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities experience more stress than parents of persons of normal development. The majority of previous research has measured direct relationships between stress variables and stress perception and little attention has been given to the impact of mediating variables. The present study utilized an indirect pathway model to examine the mediating influence of coping style on the relationship between social support, severity of child disability, parental optimism and stress perception for these parents. Parents of individuals receiving mental health services through an agency in Southeastern Michigan participated in the study. Results indicated that coping style partially mediated the relationship between social support and stress perception for parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities.