Analysis of the correlation between stigma and coping styles and social support among parents of children with autism spectrum disorders / 四川精神卫生

ABSTRACT

BackgroundThe incidence of autism spectrum disorders （ASD） is showing an upward trend， and the treatment and training process for children with ASD is lengthy， placing a heavy burden on their families. Such fact results in parents being prone to feelings of stigma. However， there exists a lack of research studying on the stigma among parents of children with ASD. ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between stigma and coping styles and social support of parents with ASD， and to provide references for practices of reducing stigma level and taking targeted interventions in this group. MethodsThis study involved parents of children diagnosed with ASD and admitted to the children's health clinic of a tertiary hospital in Urumqi between January 2021 and May 2022. General information questionnaire， Affiliate Stigma Scale （ASS）， Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire （SCSQ） and Social Support Rating Scale （SSRS） were employed to conduct investigation. Pearson correlation analysis was used analyze the correlation between stigma， coping styles and social support. ResultsThe ASS total score of parents of children with ASD was （52.40±11.22）. Correlation analysis results showed that the ASS total score of parents was positively correlated with the score of negative coping dimension in SCSQ （r=0.787， P<0.01）， and negatively correlated with the score of positive coping dimension in SCSQ and SSRS total score （r=-0.565， -0.795， P<0.01）. The result of regression analysis suggested that stigma among parents of children with ASD was affected by coping style and social support （∆R2=0.768， F=114.931， P<0.01）. These two factors could explain 76.80% of the total variance. ConclusionParents of children with ASD have stigma of moderate to high level， and coping styles and social support are two important factors influencing the stigma. ［Funded by Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Science and Technology Program Resource Sharing Platform Construction Project （number， PT2215）］