Variables Associated with Subjective Well-Being Among Parents of Children with Total Hearing Impairment [Variabile asociate starii de bine subiective in randul parintilor copiilor cu deficienta de auz totala]

Families that raise a child with total hearing impairment have specific particular educational and social tasks. This paper summarizes the main results of a correlational study that explored the subjective well-being indicators in parents of children diagnosed with total hearing impairment by relating this area of individual functioning to certain demographical variables, to some characteristics of diagnosis, as well as to individual characteristics of parents. A number of 42 parents of children assisted by a cochlear implant completed seven standard questionnaires. Instruments were administered in a clinic specialized in assessment and recovery services, located in the Varese province of Italy. In parents who participated in the study, the levels of the positive affective disposition and satisfaction with life showed consistent associations to scores of functional and dysfunctional cognitive strategies involved in regulating emotions in adverse situations or negative life events, as well as to scores of dispositional optimism and resilience. Results are discussed from the perspective of factors contributing to positive adaptation to stress and to subjective well-being in parents of children assisted by cochlear implant.