The Mediating Role of Demographic Factors on the Psychological Wellbeing of Parents with Down Syndrome Children

Introduction A child’s disability, particularly Down syndrome, significantly impacts parents’ psychological well-being. This impact often manifests as stigma, inadequate social support, and diminished self-acceptance. However, the role of demographic factors (age, education, income, child’s age) in mediating this relationship is not fully understood.Methods Cross-sectional study with a quantitative design with a mediating factor method, involving 351 parents of children with Down syndrome residing in Riau, Indonesia. Data were collected through psychological scales that evaluated parents’ psychological well-being, demographics, stigma, social support, and self-acceptance. Data were analyzed using the mediator factor method, regression, and correlation analyses to understand the relationship between the variables studied.Results Negative correlation between age and psychological well-being, with a coefficient of −0.1491 and a p value of 0.0016. This suggests that as age increases, psychological well-being also declines. Education was also found to have a significant impact on self-acceptance, with a coefficient of 0.0119 and a p-value of 0.0004, and showed a moderating effect on psychological well-being with a coefficient of c’ −0.1519 and a p-value of 0.0016. Another influential factor was social support, with an R2 value of 0.1692, making it the strongest predictor, compared to self-acceptance which had an R2 value of 0.0341 and stigma with an R2 value of 0.0214.Conclusion Demographic factors have been demonstrated to play a significant role in mediating the relationship between child disability and parents’ psychological well-being. This finding underscores the necessity to consider socioeconomic and structural aspects in conjunction with direct psychological support. The results of the study highlight the importance of comprehending parents’ experiences of stigma, inadequate social support, and low self-acceptance. The study further emphasizes the potential of enhancing social support to improve parents’ psychological well-being