Parental stress is the experience of distress or discomfort that arises when the demands and burdens of the parenting role exceed a parent's capabilities, resources, or sense of control over daily situations with their child. It is more frequent and pronounced among parents of children with specific learning difficulties (SLD), as they face additional demands and more challenging circumstances compared to parents of neurotypically developing children. The purpose of this study was to examine potential differences in the experience of parental stress between mothers and fathers of children with SLD, as well as to determine how parental stress relates to coping strategies and various sources of perceived social support. The sample consisted of 242 parents of children with SLD, of whom 223 (92,1 %) were mothers. Participants completed items regarding their involvement in their child's schoolwork, followed by the Parenting Stress Scale (PSS), the Brief COPE Inventory, and the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire for Parents (VZSPS). The results showed no differences between mothers and fathers of children with SLD regarding levels of parental stress, the use of specific sources of social support, or the use of coping strategies. Correlation analysis between social support and stress revealed associations between informal support and parental stress in mothers. Furthermore, the analysis of correlations between coping strategies and parental stress confirmed only the expected positive associations between parental stress and emotion-focused (as well as dysfunctional) strategies in both genders. The findings of this study may have practical value in assisting parents of children with SLD in coping with stress.
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