Parents' perception of their children's development, perception of satisfaction, social support and level of depression.

The purpose of this study was to describe how parents and guardians in rural South Africa reported on the development of their children, their perception of social support and satisfaction, their level of depression, and the relationships that exist among the variables. The data from a larger research study were used to answer these questions: Is there a relationship between the child's development status and the parents/guardians level of satisfaction and social support? Is there a difference in the educational level of the parents/guardians and their perception of social support and the level of satisfaction? What is the percentage of parents/guardians working/not working? Is there a relationship between the status of work of the parents/guardians and the level of depression? Is there a relationship between the age of the parents/guardians and their level of depression? A convenience sample of 198 parents/guardians was recruited. Interviews were conducted using a structured interview guide. Relationships and differences were analyzed using Pearson's r correlation index, paired t-tests and regression analysis. The majority (73.7%) of the respondents were unemployed. No significant relationships were found between the child's developmental status and the parents/guardians perceived level of social support and satisfaction. However, the difference between the educational level of parents/guardians and the level of perceived social support was significant. Additionally, as the amount of family strains increased so did the parental level of depression.