ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the correlation between parents′ posttraumatic growth, mental resilience and family functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder.Methods:Using the convenience sampling method, 169 parents of children with autism spectrum disorders were selected. General data questionnaire, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD - RISC) and Family Assessment Device (FAD) were investigated.Results:The total PTGI score of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder was 58.79±18.92. The scores of appreciation of life, new possibilities, personal strength, relating to others and spiritual change were 19.49±6.15, 10.46±4.59, 9.05±3.32, 7.79±3.65, 12.01±3.83. The PTGI score of 37.3% parents was lower than 52, which was at a low level. Parents in the high score (> 74) group and the low score (< 52) group had statistically significant differences ( P<0.05) in the total score of CD - RISC and scores in all dimensions, as well as the differences in the scores of the four dimensions of FAD, namely problem solving, communication, role and behavior control. The total score of PTGI of parents was positively correlated with the total score of CD - RISC and the scores of its all dimensions ( r values were 0.201-0.317, P<0.05), and negatively correlated with the scores of Problem Solving, Communication and Behavioral Control of FAD ( r values were -0.233 - -0.196, P<0.05). Conclusions:The parents of children with autism spectrum disorder have an average level of posttraumatic growth. People with better mental resilience and healthier family functions have higher post-traumatic growth level.