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Journal of Child and Family Studies, Vol. 14, No. 2, June 2005 ( 2005), pp. 269281 DOI: 10.1007/s10826-005-5054-4
Mary I. Armstrong, Ph.D.,1,4 Shelly Birnie-Lefcovitch, Ph.D.,2 and Michael T. Ungar, Ph.D.3
We contribute to the theoretical and research knowledge base regarding the pathways between parental social support, family well being, quality of parenting, and the development of child resilience in families with a child with serious emotional problems. Little conceptual development has been done that provides a theoretical framework for studying the relationships among these variables. We identify key ndings from social support theory and research, including the impact of social support on family well being and the parents capacity to parent, and the experience of parental social support in families with a child with a disability. We review the constructs of family well being, quality of parenting, and child resilience. Further, we explain the pathways between parental social support, family well being, quality of parenting, and child resilience in families with a child with serious emotional problems. Key variables of the model and the nature of their inter-relationships are described. Social support is constructed as a protective mechanism with main and buffering effects that can impact family well being, quality of parenting, and child resilience at a number of junctures. The conceptual models implications for future theory development and research are discussed.
KEY WORDS: social support; family well being; quality of parenting; child resilience; children with serious emotional problems.
1Assistant Professor, Department of Child and Family Studies, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL.
2Director, School of Social Work, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada.
3Associate Professor, Maritime School of Social Work, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
4Correspondence should be directed to Mary Armstrong, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, USF, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612; e-mail: [email protected].
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1062-1024/05/0600-0269/0 2005 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.
Pathways Between Social Support, Family Well Being, Quality of Parenting, and Child Resilience: What We Know
270 Armstrong, Birnie-Lefcovitch, and Ungar
The Surgeon Generals Report on Mental Health (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999) attested to the challenging role faced by any parent or caregiver of a child...