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Department of Psychology, ToJ.C., Islamic Azad University, Torbat- e Jam, Iran. , sosanrahimi@iau.ac.ir
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Background: Specific learning disorder can impose significant psychological and social pressures on mothers, potentially reducing their quality of life. Social support, as a key resource for adaptation, plays a vital role in reducing stress and promoting mental health, while mental toughness enhance this relationship. This study, adopting a mediation approach, examines how social support influences quality of life through mental toughness in this group of mothers.
Aims: The present study aimed to investigate the role of social support in predicting quality of life through the mediation of mental toughness in mothers of children with specific learning disorder.
Methods: This study employed a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population comprised all mothers of children with specific learning disorder, aged 8 to 12 years, in Golbahar County in 2024. Using purposive sampling, 350 participants were selected as the study sample. Data were collected through the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF, 1996), the Social Support Questionnaire (SS-A; Wax et al., 1986), and the Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ; Clough, 2002). Data analysis was performed using SPSS-26 and AMOS-24, applying descriptive and inferential statistical methods, with the significance level set at 0.05.
Results: Correlation matrix analysis indicated positive and significant correlations at the 0.01 level among all study variables, including dimensions of psychological mental toughness , social support, and quality of life. Social support had both a direct effect (β = 0.22) and an indirect effect via mental toughness as a mediator (β = 0.447) on quality of life. Moreover, social support significantly influenced mental toughness (β = 0.70), and mental toughness had a significant effect on quality of life (β = 0.69) (p < 0.01). The final model accounted for 72% of the variance in quality of life.
Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the pivotal role of mental toughness in the relationship between social support and quality of life in mothers of children with specific learning disorder. These results can inform the planning and development of psychological interventions aimed at improving the quality of life of these mothers.
Article number: 8
     
Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2025/07/30 | Accepted: 2026/06/22 | Published: 2026/08/23

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