Comparing Levels of Positive Mental Well-Being and Life Satisfaction Between Mothers and Fathers of Children With an Intellectual Disability.

The sample was a convenience sample, predominantly White British and highly educated, limiting generalisability. All data were self-reported by parents, which may introduce social desirability bias. The study cannot distinguish whether differences are due to gender or caregiving role, as mothers were far more likely to be primary carers. The selection of control variables was limited by data availability and lack of theoretical models for positive well-being.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Do not assume fathers are less satisfied with their lives overall. The raw scores were nearly identical; the difference only appeared after statistical adjustment for factors like relationship quality and poverty. Additionally, because mothers were much more likely to be the primary carers, this study cannot tell if the difference is due to being male or having a different caregiving role.