What support resources contribute to family quality of life among religious and secular Jewish families of children with developmental disability?^†

Background Research in the field of family quality of life (FQOL) emphasises the importance of attainable support resources for families of children with developmental disability (DD). In this study we explored FQOL by examining some of its specific domains and expanded upon them. The 2 main aims were to examine differences in FQOL according to the degree of religiosity among Israeli Jewish families and to investigate the contribution of family, social, and governmental service support, as well as religion and spirituality to FQOL. Method Parents from 170 Jewish families of children with DD aged 3 to 14 years completed a self-administered questionnaire, which included the Family Quality of Life Survey – 2006 and instruments measuring family support, social support, support from governmental services, and support through religion and spirituality. Results Religious families reported a higher FQOL in comparison with secular families. No differences were found, however, between religious and secular families regarding familial, social, and service supports. Familial support and religious and spiritual support were found to contribute to the FQOL of religious families, whereas social support contributed to the FQOL of secular families. Conclusion These findings help clarify which supporting factors predict the FQOL for families living in Israel. Suitable support resources should be offered to families raising children with DD in order to enhance their FQOL.