1. Acceptance or Despair? Maternal Adjustment to Having a Child Diagnosed with Autism
- Author
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Da Paz, Nikko S, Siegel, Bryna, Coccia, Michael A, and Epel, Elissa S
- Subjects
Clinical and Health Psychology ,Health Sciences ,Psychology ,Mental Health ,Pediatric ,Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) ,Clinical Research ,Behavioral and Social Science ,Depression ,Autism ,Brain Disorders ,Mental health ,Good Health and Well Being ,Adult ,Autism Spectrum Disorder ,Behavior ,Caregivers ,Child ,Child ,Preschool ,Emotional Adjustment ,Female ,Humans ,Longitudinal Studies ,Male ,Mother-Child Relations ,Mothers ,Personal Satisfaction ,Stress ,Psychological ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Autism spectrum disorders ,Stress ,Adaptive adjustment ,Education ,Psychology and Cognitive Sciences ,Developmental & Child Psychology ,Health sciences - Abstract
Psychological adjustment to having one's child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder has important implications for a parent's mental health. In a longitudinal study, we examined the association between maternal adjustment to the diagnosis and measures of distress and well-being in 90 mothers of children with autism (baseline and 18 months). We used a novel 30-item scale "Adjustment to the Diagnosis of Autism." Factor analysis identified three dimensions of adjustment: acceptance, self-blame, and despair. Acceptance appeared to be a protective response, as it was associated with lower depressive symptoms, cross-sectionally and over time. Conversely, caregivers with increasing levels of self-blame and despair about the diagnosis over 18 months had worsening of mental health and satisfaction with life during this period.
- Published
- 2018