Giftedness and Family Well-being: The Role of Emotional Intelligence, Perceived Social Support and Stress.

BACKGROUND

Families of gifted students may have poorer well-being due to difficulties in parenting. Emotional intelligence could help parents manage negative emotions and improve their self-esteem, and perceived social support and stress could mediate this relationship. The objective of this study was to analyze these variables by testing a mediation model in parents of gifted children and parents in general.

METHOD: Questionnaires assessing emotional intelligence, stress, perceived social support, affect and self-esteem were administered to 245 parents (135 had gifted children). Descriptive analyses were performed, mean differences were calculated, and structural equation models (SEMs) were developed and tested.

RESULTS

Compared with parents in general, the parents of the gifted students reported more negative experiences (Cohen's d = 0.75; p < .01) and less social support from their friends (Cohen's d = 1.54; p < .01). Social support and stress partially mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and well-being. For parents of gifted students, there was partial mediation of social support through positive affect.

CONCLUSIONS

Providing families with tools to promote their emotional intelligence and conducting awareness campaigns focused on understanding and supporting gifted groups will contribute to parents' well-being.