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The Mediating Role of Marital Satisfaction in the Relationship Between Generalized Anxiety and Parenting Stress Among Mothers of Children with Specific Learning Disabilities
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Bahare Kamranpour1   , Raziyeh Mossayebnezhad2 , Maryam Baie Lashaki1 |
1- Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University
2- Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University , mossayeb@iau.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (38 Views) |
Background and Objective: Mothers of children with specific learning disabilities often experience considerable psychological distress due to the challenges associated with caring for their children. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of marital satisfaction in the relationship between generalized anxiety and parenting stress among mothers of children with specific learning disabilities.
Methods: This correlational study employed a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The study population consisted of mothers of children with specific learning disabilities who attended the Ehya Counseling Center in Rasht, Iran, during the first quarter of 2024. A convenience sample of 60 participants was recruited. Data were collected using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire (Spitzer et al., 2006), the Parenting Stress Index (Abidin, 1990), and the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (Olson, 1998). Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling in SPSS version 23 and AMOS version 23.
Results: Generalized anxiety had significant positive direct effects on parenting stress in both the child domain (β = 0.302, P < 0.001) and the parent domain (β = 0.368, P < 0.001). Generalized anxiety also showed a significant negative direct effect on marital satisfaction (β = −0.489, P < 0.001). Marital satisfaction had significant negative direct effects on parenting stress in the child domain (β = −0.472, P < 0.001) and the parent domain (β = −0.569, P < 0.001). Bootstrap analysis demonstrated that the indirect effects of generalized anxiety on parenting stress through marital satisfaction were statistically significant.
Conclusion: Marital satisfaction partially mediated the association between generalized anxiety and parenting stress among mothers of children with specific learning disabilities. These findings suggest that interventions targeting marital relationships, alongside psychological support aimed at reducing anxiety, may contribute to alleviating parenting stress in this population.
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| Keywords: Marital satisfaction, Generalized anxiety, Parenting stress, Specific learning disabilities |
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Psychology
Received: 2025/07/7 | Accepted: 2026/08/22 | Published: 2026/10/5
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