Psychological distress: testing hypotheses based on Roy's adaptation model

This study examined the relationships among social support, parenting stress, coping style, and psychological distress in parents caring for children with cancer. The hypothesis that coping style plays a mediating role between social support and parenting stress, and psychological distress was tested for both mothers and fathers. In total, 246 mothers and 195 fathers of 270 children participated in the study. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis. The findings indicate that the hypotheses derived from the Roy adaptation model were supported for both mothers and fathers. A longitudinal study is suggested to examine the circular process of stimulus, coping process, and adaptation outcomes.