Family burden and happiness in mothers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities: role of support and quality of life

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the relationships between family burden, perceived social support, quality of life and happiness among mothers of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). AIMS: This study aimed to examine the relationship between family burden and maternal happiness, and to investigate the serial mediating roles of perceived social support and family quality of life in mothers of children with IDDs. METHOD: The study sample comprised 250 mothers of children with IDDs. Data were collected using validated instruments: The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, a family burden scale, the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Short Form. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses and structural equation modelling were conducted with software SPSS 26.0 and JASP 0.16.4. RESULTS: Perceived social support and family quality of life were positively associated with happiness and negatively associated with caregiving burden; structural equation modelling indicated that their sequential mediation fully explained the link between family burden and happiness. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the critical role of social support and family quality of life in mitigating the negative impact of caregiving burden on maternal happiness.