Coping With the Unforeseen: An Investigation of Character Strengths of Parents who Have Children with Life-Altering Diagnoses

Parenting is a challenge role, and it is an even more challenging experience when you have a child with a life-altering diagnosis (LAD). In this investigation, the character strengths of parents of healthy children and parents of children with LADs were measured, as well as their sense of meaning and well-being. We hypothesized that parents of children with LADs might have a different profile of top strengths than parents of healthy children. However, the results revealed no significant differences in character strengths between the two groups of parents, except for the character strength of love of learning. There were significant differences in well-being, but not meaning, between parents of healthy children and parents of children with LADs. The results suggest that character strengths may not be being leveraged, or at least have not altered significantly, in parents with children with LADs. Given that character strengths are linked to subjective well-being, and well-being among parents of children with LADs was low, this may present an opportunity to leverage interventions that promote well-being and flourishing through the use of character strengths in service to parental well-being.