Parental Psychological Flexibility and Child Behavioural Outcomes in Families of Children with Developmental Disabilities in Anambra State

Parental psychological flexibility, a core component of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, refers to the capacity to engage with thoughts and emotions about parenting challenges without excessive avoidance or rigidity, and has been linked to improved parenting practices and child outcomes in disability contexts. In South East Nigerian families of children with developmental disabilities, this relationship has not been empirically examined. This study investigates the relationship between parental psychological flexibility and behavioural outcomes in children with developmental disabilities in Anambra State. A cross-sectional analytical survey is applied to 200 primary caregivers of children aged 4 to 16 years with diagnosed developmental disabilities from three special education centres in Awka and Onitsha. The Parental Acceptance Questionnaire and the Child Behaviour Checklist are administered alongside a questionnaire capturing child diagnosis, disability severity, and caregiver social support. Multiple regression analysis and mediation analysis via PROCESS Macro are performed in SPSS. Literature from South East Nigerian disability psychology identifies parental inflexibility driven by stigma and cultural expectations as a significant predictor of harsh parenting and worsened child behavioural outcomes. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy theory and the Coercive Family Process Model provide the theoretical framework. This study fills a significant gap in ACT-related parenting research in Nigerian disability contexts. Findings will guide family-focused psychological intervention design in Anambra State. Keywords: parental psychological flexibility, developmental disabilities, child behaviour, Anambra State, South East Nigeria.