Coping strategies in mothers of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: latent profile analysis

Abstract

Objectives Mothers of children with autism and children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder employ distinct coping strategies when confronted with stressful situations related to the parenting process. The current study aimed to identify distinct coping profiles among mothers, based on four indicators: problem-focused coping, active avoidance coping, positive coping, and religious/denial coping. The second objective was to examine the differences between the identified profiles in terms of the mother and children’s outcomes. Methods Participants were 90 mothers of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Latent profile analysis revealed three coping profiles based on different coping strategies: ‘Adaptative coping’ (42.22%), ‘Avoidance coping’ (40%), and ‘Low coping’ (17.77%). Results The ‘Low coping’ profile showed more dysfunctionality than the others and it evidenced significant differences with the other two profiles on parenting stress, social support and children social, behavioral and sleep problems. Conclusions The findings emphasize the importance of exploring coping skills employed by mothers of children with these neurodevelopmental disorders and developing interventions for those who adopt ineffective coping strategies.