The roles of gratitude and self-compassion on dysfunctional parenting to the parents of special needs children

Abstract

The parents of special needs children are vulnerable to parenting stress. Parenting stress experienced by parents of special needs children can lead to dysfunctional parenting. This study aimed to examine the role of gratitude and self-compassion in partial and simultaneous dysfunctional parenting to the parents of special needs children at Malang City. This study uses quantitative research methods with a descriptive correlational approach. The population in this study were parents of special needs children with the criteria of having one special needs child, not a single parent and living at Malang City. Determination of the sample in this study using the Lemeshow formula resulted in 96 respondents and was fulfilled into 100 respondents. The sampling technique used was accidental sampling. The instruments used in this study are the gratitude, self-compassion, and dysfunctional parenting scales compiled by the researcher. This study used a validity test, namely content validity by two expert lecturers. The reliability test was calculated using the Alpha Cronbach formula, and the coefficient value for the three variables was in the range of 0.9. Analysis of the data used is descriptive analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed that for parents of special needs children at Malang City, (1) The level of gratitude is more in the high category, (2) The level of self-compassion is average in the high and medium categories, (3) The level of dysfunctional parenting is more in the low category, (4) partially there is a role of gratitude on dysfunctional parenting, (5) partially there is a role of self-compassion on dysfunctional parenting, (6) there is a simultaneous role of gratitude and self-compassion on dysfunctional parenting.