Fathers and mothers of children with learning disabilities: Links between emotional and coping resources

This study compared emotional and coping resources of two parent groups with children ages 8 to 12 years - children with learning disabilities (LD) versus with typical development - and explored how mothers' and fathers' emotional resources (low anxious/avoidant attachment, low negative affect, and high positive affect) may explain differences in parents' coping resources (active/avoidant coping with a child-related problem, sense of coherence). Parents (N = 410) comprised 107 couples with LD children and 98 couples with typically developing children. Significant group differences emerged on parental coping strategies, and significant sex differences emerged too, more so in the LD group. As hypothesized, parental emotional resources contributed to coping resources, although this differed partially between groups. Discussion focuses on the unique value of emotional resources for coping resources in both populations.