Parental Sense of Competence, Psychological Well-Being, and the Mediating Role of Coping Strategies Among Filipino Parents of Children with Special Needs

Abstract

Parents of children with special needs experience sustained caregiving demands that may affect psychological well-being and parenting confidence. However, the mechanisms linking these constructs remain insufficiently examined in the Philippine context. This study examined parental sense of competence, psychological well-being, and coping strategies among Filipino parents of children with special needs, with attention to demographic differences and the mediating role of coping strategies. A predictive correlational design was used. Data were gathered from 300 purposively selected parents of children with special needs enrolled in Special Education classes in Biñan and San Pedro, Laguna. Participants completed self-administered measures: the Brief COPE, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale, and the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kendall’s tau-b correlation, Mann-Whitney U tests, and partial least squares structural equation modeling. Overall psychological well-being was moderate (Mdn = 156.00, MAD = 10.00), with high scores in autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations, and self-acceptance but a moderate score in purpose in life. Overall parental sense of competence was moderate (Mdn = 64.00, MAD = 8.00), with high efficacy (Mdn = 35.00, MAD = 4.00) and moderate satisfaction (Mdn = 31.00, MAD = 5.00). Problem-focused and emotion-focused coping were moderately used, while avoidant coping was low. Age was positively associated with emotion-focused coping and negatively associated with parental sense of competence. Female parents reported greater use of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping, but no gender difference emerged in psychological well-being or parental competence. The structural model showed that psychological well-being directly predicted parental competence; only problem-focused coping showed a significant suppressive indirect effect. Findings support interventions that strengthen parenting efficacy, emotional regulation, and inclusive family support. Because the design was cross-sectional and correlational, the mediation results are interpreted as statistical indirect associations rather than evidence of temporal or causal pathways.