The impact of maternal, child, and family characteristics on the daily well-being and parenting experiences of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder

• Published in: Autism : the international journal of research and practice Vol. 20; no. 8; pp. 973 - 985
• Main Authors: Pruitt, Megan M, Willis, Kelcie, Timmons, Lisa, Ekas, Naomi V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.11.2016; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Affect; Affective Behavior; Attitude to Health; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder - psychology; Autistic children; Child; Child Rearing; Child, Preschool; Children; Correlation; Depression (Psychology); Diaries; Family - psychology; Family characteristics; Family cohesion; Family Environment; Family relations; Family Relationship; Family system perspective; Female; Hierarchical Linear Modeling; Humans; Interaction; Likert Scales; Maternal depression; Measures (Individuals); Mother-Child Relations; Mothers; Mothers - psychology; Mothers - statistics & numerical data; Negative emotions; Parenting - psychology; Parents & parenting; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Positive emotions; Predictor Variables; Psychological Patterns; Questionnaires; Regression (Statistics); Severity; Severity (of Disability); Severity of Illness Index; Social Behavior; Social motivation; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Well being; well-being; autism spectrum disorder; family; parenting; daily diaries
• ISSN: 1362-3613; 1461-7005
• DOI: 10.1177/1362361315620409

This study utilized a daily diaries method to explore the global factors that impact daily general affect and daily parenting interactions of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Eighty-three mothers of a child with autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 3 and 13 years completed global assessments of maternal depressive symptoms, child autism spectrum disorder symptom severity, and family functioning. Mothers then reported on their daily negative and positive affect as well as their daily positive and frustrating parenting interactions for 14 consecutive days. The results indicated that higher levels of maternal depressive symptoms were related to decreased daily positive affect, whereas greater child social motivation impairments were related to increased daily positive affect. Only maternal depressive symptoms were associated with increased daily negative affect. Furthermore, higher levels of family cohesion were related to increased daily positive parenting interactions. Finally, higher maternal depressive symptoms as well as family rigidity were related to increased daily frustrating parenting interactions. Implications for interventions focused on the family system are discussed.