Stronger Together: How Family Quality of Life, Hope, and Social Support Alleviate Psychological Distress in Families Experiencing Disability

The current study aimed to explore the role of perceived social support, family quality of life, and hope in mitigating psychological distress among adults, particularly in the context of families with members who have disabilities. Specifically, this research examined whether individuals with a family member with a disability may experience higher levels of distress and how social support, hope, and family quality of life may contribute to alleviating depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. The convenient sample comprised 161 adults aged 18 to 73 (M age = 38.26, SD= 10.24, 55.3% females). Of the respondents, 39.1% reported having a family member with a disability in their close (nuclear) family. Results indicated that higher perceived social support, hope, and family quality of life may contribute to lower psychological distress. However, contrary to our assumption, participants who had a family member with disabilities reported marginally significantly lower psychological distress. We discuss these results in the light of their potential practical implications, arguing that the interventions aimed to reduce psychological distress should be multi-faceted, addressing both internal (like family quality of life and hope) and external factors (such as support systems tailored to the unique challenges of different family contexts).