3 Mental well-being of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Slovenia

Abstract

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder refers to neurodevelopmental disabilities that affect social, communicative, and behavioural development. Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder often face parenting challenges, such as difficulties understanding and communicating with their children. Such factors can lead to poor mental well-being. Mental well-being is a state of positive psychological and emotional health. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine whether there was a relationship between parental mental well-being and family experience. The Autism Family Experience Questionnaire measured family experience and quality of life. The Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale measured parents’ mental wellbeing. Results: A total of 101 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder from Slovenia participated in the study. A small correlation between parental mental wellbeing and the positive family experience was found. The mental well-being of parents negatively correlates with family life and child symptoms and positively with the experience of being a parent and child development. Parents reported poor support from the health system. Parents who devote more time to themselves also have better mental well-being. Parents report a lack of support from health professionals, resulting in poor mental well-being. Discussion and conclusion: An integrated person-centred approach should be introduced to reduce stress, emotional burden, and physical fatigue by the parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and improve their mental well-being. Future research could investigate possible solutions for improving the mental wellbeing of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder.