The Weight of Loneliness: Family Resilience and Social Support Among Parents of Children with and Without Special Needs

Background: Raising children with special needs presents unique emotional and practical challenges, often increasing parental loneliness and diminishing perceived social support, both of which can undermine family resilience. Although previous studies have explored these constructs separately, there is limited understanding of how loneliness and social support interact to influence family resilience. We examined the mediating role of loneliness and the moderating role of parent groups (parents with and without special needs children) in the association between social support and family resilience. Method: This cross-sectional study included 120 parents (60 parents of children with special needs, 60 parents of typically developing children), with children aged 3 to 18 years. Participants completed questionnaires measuring perceived social support, loneliness, and family resilience. Statistical analyses included t-tests, Pearson correlations, moderation, and mediation analyses using Hayes’ PROCESS macro. Results: Parents of children with special needs reported significantly lower levels of perceived social support and significantly higher levels of loneliness. However, no significant differences were found in family resilience. Across the sample, social support was positively associated with family resilience and negatively associated with loneliness. Moderation analysis revealed that the association between social support and family resilience was stronger among parents of typically developing children. Mediation analysis showed that loneliness fully mediated relations between social support and family resilience. Conclusions: These findings highlight loneliness as a critical psychological mechanism linking social support and family resilience. Although no significant group differences were found in family resilience, it is possible that unmeasured protective factors, such as coping strategies, may have buffered the negative impact of loneliness among parents of children with special needs. Interventions that focus on enhancing social support and addressing loneliness are vital for promoting resilience in parents, particularly those with special needs children.