What factors are associated with posttraumatic growth among mothers of children with developmental disabilities in South Korea?
Feeling supported predicts personal growth in Korean mothers of children with autism or ID, so check and build that support in every family plan.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Park et al. (2023) sent a survey to 344 Korean mothers of children with autism or intellectual disability.
They asked how much social support each mom felt and how heavy her caregiving load felt.
Then they looked at how these numbers lined up with the mothers’ reports of post-traumatic growth.
What they found
Moms who said "I have people I can count on" scored higher on personal growth after trauma.
More daily caregiving strain also went hand-in-hand with growth, but support was the stronger link.
The study only shows a snapshot, not whether support causes growth.
How this fits with other research
Alon (2019) saw the same support-growth link in mothers of children with autism, but not in mothers of children with Down syndrome.
Kyung’s Korean data now echo that autism-specific pattern, so the benefit looks real across cultures.
Lee et al. (2026) later interviewed Korean mothers and found religious coping can buffer depression.
Taken together, Korean moms may gain growth when support is high, yet still need help for mood—two separate tracks.
Why it matters
You can’t write "more support" on a behavior plan, but you can map each family’s circle.
Start sessions by asking, "Who helps you on hard days?" and write the names.
If the list is short, hand the parent a local autism parent-group flyer before you leave.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: The identification of PTG and its correlates in the aftermath of a traumatic event would assist professionals in recognizing and amplifying individual's potential strengths. However, there are few studies on PTG and its correlates in mothers who have birthed or raised children with developmental disabilities in South Korea. AIM: This study examined the predictive role of caregiving strain and social support on the subdimensions of PTG among South Korean mothers of children with developmental disabilities. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The participants were 344 mothers of children with intellectual disabilities or autism. PTG was divided into four sub-dimensions (change in self-perception, increase in interpersonal depth, finding new possibilities, and increase in spiritual interest), and the predictive roles of caregiving strain and social support on each sub-dimension were identified using hierarchical multiple regression. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Subjective caregiving strain; family support services; and support from family, friends, or significant others were significantly related to the subdimensions of PTG. Interestingly, support from significant others was positively associated with PTG. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Social support was more likely to influence all subdimensions of PTG, except for changes in self-perception while only subject caregiving strain was associated with PTG. Thus, policymakers and practitioners should prioritize expanding family support services and strengthening various informal supportive resources for mothers with higher PTG.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2023 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104414