engleski

Positive psychology and children's health: determinants of positive thinking and life satisfaction among parents of preschool children with and without developmental difficulties

Regarding the importance of the parents’ positive thinking and life satisfaction in facing various children’s health difficulties, the main objective of this study was to investigate the hope, optimism, and life satisfaction of the parents of healthy preschool children and preschool children with various health difficulties, taking thereby into consideration their educational level and personality traits. The focus of this study was on the analysis of significant determinants, such as personality traits and the educational level, positive thinking and life satisfaction among preschool children’s parents. Also, possible differences between the two subsamples of parents were interesting. The study was conducted on a sample of 152 (75 of them were healthy) children and 152 parents. The research was conducted in institutions of early and preschool education and at the Department of Pediatrics of the University Hospital Rijeka and in the Kindergarten Rijeka in Croatia using four questionnaires for measuring hope, optimism, life satisfaction, and personality traits (extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience). After informed consent, parents who agreed to participate in the study filled out the questionnaires. Even though there were no significant differences in the parents’ positive thinking and life satisfaction regarding their children’s health, the levels of these variables were significantly higher among parents with higher education, especially in the group of children with various health difficulties. Additional analyses showed that there were significant effects of the educational level and positive thinking and life satisfaction regarding the group of parents of preschool children without any health difficulties and the group of parents of preschool children with various health difficulties. Even though, significant interaction effects were missing, the variable of educational level has showed significant effect when investigating this relationship, which should be taken into account in future research. Finally, hierarchical regression analyses revealed, as it had been assumed, that personality traits and the educational level presented significant determinants of positive thinking and life satisfaction among parents with preschool aged children. Determined results were discussed within the framework of possible practical implications in the counselling work with parents, especially with parents of preschool children with various health difficulties.

hope ; life satisfaction ; optimism ; parents of preschool aged children ; children with and without developmental difficulties ; personality traits ; parents’ educational level

nije evidentirano