Quiet ego, perceived social support, and subjective well-being in mothers having children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

BackgroundThis research aimed to examine the relationship of quiet ego and perceived social support with the subjective well-being of mothers having children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and to find out the predictors of subjective well-being among these mothers. Where multiple resource factors beneficial for the well-being of these mothers are studied worldwide, this study investigates and highlights importance of the scarcely studied concept of quiet ego in a precisely defined study sample. MethodCorrelational research design was used and mothers (N = 70; Mage = 36.20, SD = 5.70) were selected using purposive sampling strategy from different special schools and centres of Lahore, Pakistan. The questionnaires used in the study were, Quiet Ego Scale (Wayment et al., 2015), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988), Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985) and Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (Diener et al., 2009) ResultsResults showed a significant positive relationship of quiet ego, and all the aspects of social support, with subjective well-being. After controlling for the effect of control variables, social support from the significant other emerged as significant unique predictor of both cognitive and affective components of subjective well-being while friends’ support significantly predicted affect balance only ConclusionsThe importance of internal and external protective factors highlighted in this study can be employed by professionals as a part of their counselling or therapeutic interventions while dealing with such mothers, as well as for the awareness of their families and society, at large.