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Volume 25, Issue 163 (9-2026)
Journal of Psychological Science 2026, 25(163): 1-19 |
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Mostajeran M, Ghazanfari A, Ghasemi pirbalouti M. (2026). The Effectiveness of an Educational Package Based on the Lived Experiences of Adoptive Parents on Parenting Stress and Parental Competence Perception. Journal of Psychological Science. 25(163), : 16 doi:10.66224/jps.25.163.16
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-3635-en.html
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-3635-en.html
Department of Psychology, ShK.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran. , ahmadghazanfari1964@iau.ac.ir
Abstract: (167 Views)
Background: Adoption is one of the effective social interventions to support children without guardians or with inadequate guardians. However, adoptive parents, especially mothers, face numerous psychological, emotional, and social challenges in the process of accepting and raising the child, which can lead to increased parenting stress and decreased perceived parental competence. Therefore, designing educational interventions based on parents' lived experiences can play an important role in improving their psychological adjustment.
Aims: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of an educational package based on the lived experiences of challenges faced by parents with adopted children on parenting stress and perceived parental competence of mothers with adopted children.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest-follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population included all mothers with adopted children in Isfahan in 2025 who were identified through the Welfare Organization of the province. A total of 30 participants were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The experimental group received a 10-session (90 minutes each) educational package based on lived experiences, while the control group remained on a waiting list. Research instruments included the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (Abidin, 1995) and the Perceived Competence Scale (Harter, 1985). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests with SPSS-26.
Results: The results showed that the educational package based on lived experiences significantly reduced parenting stress (F=218.84, P=0.001) and significantly increased perceived parental competence (F=233.66, P=0.001) in the experimental group compared to the control group. The effects of the intervention were maintained at the three-month follow-up (P>0.05), indicating the stability of the educational program's effectiveness.
Conclusion: The educational package based on the lived experiences of mothers with adopted children can serve as an effective educational intervention for reducing parenting stress and enhancing perceived parental competence in mothers with adopted children. Implementation of this package in counseling centers, psychological service centers, family counseling centers, offices and centers under the supervision of the Welfare Organization, as well as authorized centers and institutions active in the field of adoption, can contribute to improving parents' mental health and enhancing the quality of parent-child interactions.
Aims: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of an educational package based on the lived experiences of challenges faced by parents with adopted children on parenting stress and perceived parental competence of mothers with adopted children.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest-follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population included all mothers with adopted children in Isfahan in 2025 who were identified through the Welfare Organization of the province. A total of 30 participants were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The experimental group received a 10-session (90 minutes each) educational package based on lived experiences, while the control group remained on a waiting list. Research instruments included the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (Abidin, 1995) and the Perceived Competence Scale (Harter, 1985). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests with SPSS-26.
Results: The results showed that the educational package based on lived experiences significantly reduced parenting stress (F=218.84, P=0.001) and significantly increased perceived parental competence (F=233.66, P=0.001) in the experimental group compared to the control group. The effects of the intervention were maintained at the three-month follow-up (P>0.05), indicating the stability of the educational program's effectiveness.
Conclusion: The educational package based on the lived experiences of mothers with adopted children can serve as an effective educational intervention for reducing parenting stress and enhancing perceived parental competence in mothers with adopted children. Implementation of this package in counseling centers, psychological service centers, family counseling centers, offices and centers under the supervision of the Welfare Organization, as well as authorized centers and institutions active in the field of adoption, can contribute to improving parents' mental health and enhancing the quality of parent-child interactions.
Article number: 16
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/07/30 | Accepted: 2026/09/9 | Published: 2026/09/23
Received: 2026/07/30 | Accepted: 2026/09/9 | Published: 2026/09/23
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