Well-Being, Social Support, and Coping with Stress Among Parents of Children with Special Needs in the Post-COVID-19 Period: Gender Differences and Predictive Factors*

Introduction: In this study, stress coping methods, perceived social support, and psychological well-being of parents with children with special needs were examined. Methods: Volunteer-based convenience sampling was used in this study, which was conducted in a correlational research design. Data were collected from 362 parents with children with special needs. Results: Independent samples t-test revealed that fathers reported significantly higher levels of stress coping, perceived social support, and psychological well-being compared to mothers. ANOVA results showed significant differences in all three variables based on income level, with parents in the low-income group scoring significantly lower than those in the medium and high-income groups. Multiple regression analysis indicated that both stress coping and perceived social support by parents significantly predicted psychological well-being. Conclusion: It is necessary to prepare plans for crises for children with special needs and their parents and to carry out preventive and intervention studies.