Use and Benefit of Dyadic Coping for Couple Relationship Satisfaction in Parents of Children with Autism

Stress communication, communication satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction: an actor-partner interdependence mediation model

Past research has revealed positive effects of stress communication by oneself and by the partner on relationship satisfaction. However, the mechanisms through which stress communication by oneself and by the partner influence relationship satisfaction have not been well studied. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of one's own and the partner's stress communication on relationship satisfaction and the mediating roles of one's own and the partner's communication satisfaction in these associations. A total of 227 unmarried heterosexual couples were recruited. An actor-partner interdependence mediation model was used to examine the hypothesized relationships. The results showed that the actor effects of stress communication on relationship satisfaction were mediated by the actor effects of communication satisfaction. Moreover, the indirect effect of male stress communication on female relationship satisfaction through female communication satisfaction was found to be significant. These findings provide insights into the mechanism through which stress communication influences relationship satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Parental Stress and Psychological Distress and Their Association With Spousal Support Among Parents of School-Age Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic in South India: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

CONTEXT

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to families in the form of social isolation, economic difficulties and inaccessibility of educational and supportive services.

AIMS

To assess the levels of parental stress and psychological distress among parents of school-age children during the COVID-19 pandemic and to analyse its correlation with spousal support.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted among the parents of school-age children in south India. One hundred thirty-two completed responses were obtained. Study tools included Parental Stress Scale, Spouse Support Scale and Kessler's psychological distress scale-6 item version.

RESULTS

The mean parental stress score was 42.39 ± 9.679. Sixty percent of the participants reported moderate to high levels of psychological distress. Parental stress and psychological distress scores were noted to have a significant negative correlation with spousal support scores (r=-.486, p=.000 and r=-.401, p=.000 respectively).

CONCLUSION

Our study findings show that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the psychological well-being of parents of school-age children. Supportive interventions to address parenting difficulties need to be undertaken to prevent long-term adverse mental health outcomes. Lessons learnt from the pandemic are important for clinicians and policymakers to take measures to alleviate parental stress as well as to promote the psychological well-being of parents and children.

Expressed Emotion in Families of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Mixed-Method Approach

Background

Family interaction plays a pivotal role in the overall well-being of each member of a family unit. It is foreseeable that a family caring for an individual with a mental or physical health condition could experience negative family interactions for various reasons. Expressed emotion refers to the family environment based on the relatives' interaction with the individual diagnosed with a specific illness. Expressed emotion in the families of a person with any form of mental condition could pose potential psychological distress and burden to family members, notably the primary caregivers.

Purpose

The current study intends to explore the expressed emotion of the primary caregivers toward children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). The association between expressed emotion, stress experienced by the caregiver, and the self-sufficiency of the child diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders was examined.

Methods

The Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS), Kingston Caregivers' Stress Scale (KCSS), and Waisman Activities of Daily Living (WADL) were used to assess expressed emotion, stress, and a child's self-sufficiency, respectively. The snowball sampling technique was adopted, and data were collected from 35 primary caregivers through telephonic interviews. A mixed-method research design was adopted, and the data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.

Results

The findings reveal that there is a significant association between expressed emotion and caregivers' stress, expressed emotion, and the child's self-sufficiency and a significant relationship between the caregivers' stress and the child's self-sufficiency. The qualitative analysis suggests the influence of factors such as future concerns, family factors, and relationship strains contribute to expressed emotion.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that those primary caregivers who reported extreme caregivers' stress and low self-sufficiency in their child exhibited high negative expressed emotion and diverse individual and systemic factors influenced the display of high expressed emotion within the family.

Emotion regulation, parental stress and family functioning: Families of children with disabilities vs normative families

Childhood disability is a major challenge for families. The aim of the present study was to explore differences between families of children with disabilities and normative families, analyzing the association of emotion dysregulation with relationship satisfaction, through parental stress and interparental conflict, using supportive dyadic coping by oneself (SDCO) as a moderator. For a sample of 445 Romanian parents, results showed higher levels of parental stress and interparental conflict and lower relationship satisfaction in families of children with disabilities compared to normative families, as well as a direct relationship between parental stress and relationship satisfaction and a stronger direct effect for SDCO with relationship satisfaction. For normative families, SDCO moderated the relationship between emotion dysregulation and parental stress, and for families of children with disabilities SDCO interacted on the link between emotion dysregulation and relationship satisfaction. Only families of children with disabilities presented indirect effects between emotion dysregulation and relationship satisfaction through parental stress, moderated by SDCO. These effects increased in impact as the use of SDCO was higher. Conditional indirect effects by SDCO were also found for the link between emotion dysregulation and relationship satisfaction through interparental conflict for both families, with this effect being higher in families of children with disabilities. These findings highlight the need to implement specific programs that can adjust to the needs of these families, strengthening parents' emotional competencies, as well as stress and conflict management abilities.

How to Make the Unpredictable Foreseeable? Effective Forms of Assistance for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Symptomatology in patients with the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is very heterogeneous. The symptoms they present include communication difficulties, behavior problems, upbringing problems from their parents, and comorbidities (e.g., epilepsy, intellectual disability). A predictable and stable environment and the continuity of therapeutic interactions are crucial in this population. The COVID-19 pandemic has created much concern, and the need for home isolation to limit the spread of the virus has disrupted the functioning routine of children/adolescents with ASD. Are there effective diagnostic and therapeutic alternatives to limit the consequences of disturbing the daily routine of young patients during the unpredictable times of the pandemic? Modern technology and telemedicine have come to the rescue. This narrative review aims to present a change in the impact profile in the era of isolation and assess the directions of changes that specialists may choose when dealing with patients with ASD.

Marital Satisfaction and Perceived Family Support in Families of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Dyadic Analysis

BACKGROUND

Raising children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) causes tremendous stress for parents that may lead to marital conflict and relationship dissatisfaction. Many factors are associated with parent relationships including severity of autistic behaviors and social support. This study aimed to investigate whether severity of autistic behaviors, perceived family support, and complementarity of interpersonal styles between husbands and wives predicted couple satisfaction among the parents of children with ASD.

METHOD

Seven hundred ninety-seven parent dyads of children aged 7-14 years old with ASD participated in the study. Measurements used included couple satisfaction index, perceived family support using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, inter-personal style using the inventory of interpersonal problems, the ABC autism checklists as well as sociodemographic and related factors. The Actor Partner Interdependence Model estimated by multilevel modeling was used for analysis.

RESULTS

Perceived family support was relevant in married couples regarding their marital relationship, but the effects on husbands and wives differed. Husbands' relationship satisfaction was predicted by how they perceived being supported by family. The severity of autistic behaviors predicted relationship satisfaction but only actor effect. Negative prediction of interpersonal complementarity on couple satisfaction was observed. In addition, time spent on raising children had a negative impact on the quality of the relationship. Partner effect of time spent was observed among women.

CONCLUSION

Dyadic analysis using an actor-partner independence model confirmed perception of family support predicts relationship satisfaction among parents of children with ASD in addition to the severity of autistic behaviors and time spent caring for children. Complementarity of individual interpersonal style had no effect on couple satisfaction. This research suggests implications for interventions regarding building skills that elicit support from family members.

Dyadic coping and coparenting among couples after their child's recent autism diagnosis

LAY ABSTRACT

We investigated how couples support each other after their child's autism diagnosis and whether this affects the way they work together to raise their child. We recruited 70 couples raising a child on the autism spectrum. Both partners were asked to complete the same questionnaires measuring how they perceived the experience of having a child on the autism spectrum, how they used their relationship to support each other during stressful situations, how competent they felt completing their parenting tasks, and the coparenting relationship to explore how they worked together as a team when parenting their child. Parents participated in the study 1-36 months after their child's autism diagnosis. We used statistical techniques that allowed us to see the impact mothers and fathers had on each other. Overall, parents who felt more competent and supported by their partner worked better as a team to raise their child on the spectrum. Fathers invested in the coparenting relationship more when mothers felt more supported by fathers. Mothers invested in the coparenting relationship more when fathers felt more competent parenting their child. Further research is needed to better understand how we can support couples as their child gets older.