<![CDATA[Abstract This study examined the predictive impact of perceived social support on maternal parenting stress and psychological resilience across two distinct marital configurations: cohabiting marriages and work-related long-distance relationships (LDR). A quantitative, cross-sectional comparative design was utilized with a sample of 80 married mothers (N=40 cohabiting; N=40 LDR) who completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Parental Stress Scale (PSS), and the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS). Linear regression analyses revealed divergent socio-ecological pathways between the two cohorts. For cohabiting mothers, global social support did not significantly predict a reduction in maternal stress (R2 = .02, p = .37); however, friend support emerged as a robust positive predictor of psychological resilience (R2 = .29, p <.001, β = 0.54). In contrast, for LDR mothers, global social support successfully predicted reduced maternal stress (R2 = .17, p = .01), driven primarily by significant other (β = −0.43) and family (β = −0.38) domains, while localized family and friend support significantly cultivated resilience. Aggregate analyses (N = 80) confirmed that global social support reduces maternal distress (R2 = .08, p = .01) and enhances general resilience (R2 =.10, p <.001). These findings demonstrate that spousal co-presence does not inherently buffer maternal stress without domestic equity, highlighting the critical need for clinical family interventions that target structural co-parenting balances in cohabiting households and expand localized community safety nets for solo-caregiving LDR mothers.]]>
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