The Relationship between Life Expectancy and Happiness in the Mothers of Children with Specific Learning Disorder

Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a biological source that causes cognitive problems. Learning disability is the main cause of poor educational performance. The mothers of children with SLD require strong coping patterns because of the problems they encounter. Hope, on the other hand, is a cognitive complex based on a sense of accomplishment, i.e., influenced by various characteristics. Life expectancy is a powerful mental resource and a form of rebirth, i.e., vital to mankind. In addition, happiness has three important parts, as follows: positive emotions or feelings of happiness, life satisfaction, and the lack of negative emotions, e.g., anxiety and depression. Interacting with others, having a purpose in life, being loved by others, and developing a personality are the pillars of happiness. The Locus of Control (LoC) is a personchr('39')s general and sustained belief in the manageability of life outcomes. LoC refers to individuals’ beliefs about how to control the environment. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between LoC and life expectancy and happiness in the mothers of children with SLD.

This was a descriptive–analytic and correlational research. The statistical population of the study included all mothers of elementary school students with SLD at exceptional children schools in Tehran City, Iran, in the academic year of 2018–19. A sample of 180 mothers with their children was selected through convenience sampling technique. The required data were collected using the Rotterchr('39')s Locus of Control Scale (1966), Oxford Happiness Inventory (1995), and Snyder Hope Scale (1995). Pearson’s correlation and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) were used for data analysis (α=0.05). The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS.

According to the achieved results, there was a positive and significant relationship between the LoC and motherschr('39') life expectancy (p=0.005). MANCOVA data for predicting life expectancy indicated that an internal LoC had a positive and significant relationship with life expectancy in the studied mothers (p=0.024). The results also signified a positive and significant relationship between LoC and the investigated motherschr('39') happiness (p<0.001). According to the MANCOVA results for predicting happiness, LoC had a positive and significant relationship with the investigated motherschr('39') happiness (p=0.025).

LoC significantly affects predicting the life expectancy and happiness of the mothers of children with SLD.