Background: Becoming a mother is a profound, salient, yet strenuous role for most women. This becomes more challenging for mothers with chronic conditions. This study explores positive factors that help women thrive in the face of these challenges. This study demonstrates the contribution and synergy of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework (environmental and personal factors) with strength-based positive psychological approaches (Ryff, 2014; Corkin et al 2018, Seligman, 2018) for mothers with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Aims: This study was designed to discover factors that help women with chronic conditions like MS cultivate fuller and more satisfying engagement in life roles, especially with the role of mothering.

Methods: Community-dwelling mothers with MS (n=111) were solicited through the National MS Society Newsletter. Participants had at least 1 child, 12 or under This descriptive study was designed to contribute to a theoretical framework. The MOS, Social Support Scale (Sherbourne & Stewart,1991), SF-36 role Physical and Emotional scales (Ware, 2003), Ryff’s Psychological Well-being scale and a Parenting Satisfaction Scale (developed for this study) were used. All had adequate and acceptable psychometric properties.  Hierarchical regression analyses tested unique effects of social support and psychological well-being (environmental mastery, self-acceptance, and purpose in life) on role participation and satisfaction with parenting.

Results:  Social support explained 35-44% of variance in each outcome (role participation and satisfaction of parenting.)  Positive personal factors/strength-based positive psychological qualities explained an additional 9-17% of the variance. The combination of social support and positive factors predicted greater role function and satisfaction with parenting than either alone. Qualitative examples of self-acceptance, environmental mastery and purpose in life are illustrated.

Conclusion: Both ICF environmental factors (social support) and positive personal factors (positive psychological strengths) uniquely predicted better daily role participation and greater satisfaction with mothering. Further analyses demonstrated a synergistic relationship, such that together social support and positive personal factors predicted fuller participation and greater satisfaction with mothering than either alone.