Abstract
ObjectiveThe aim of the present study is to investigate whether parenting stress mediate the relationship between social support and quality of life in parents of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. In addition, we examined what other variables moderate the relationships in this mediation model.MethodsUsing the two-stage meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach (MASEM), 44 correlation matrices were synthesized from 28 empirical studies (N = 13,270) and fitted to the hypothesized mediation model.ResultsThere is a significant partial mediation effect of parenting stress on the relationship between social support and quality of life. Subgroup analysis through the first stage analysis suggested that social support measurements, parental role, and child's age moderated the relationship between social support and parenting stress, and that the focus of quality of life moderated the relationship between social support and quality of life. Subgroup analysis through the second stage analysis indicated that parenting stress had a significantly stronger predictive effect on quality of life in Western culture, while the predictive effect of social support on quality of life was significantly stronger in Eastern culture.ConclusionHaving more social support can reduce parents' stress and then improving their quality of life, which can help them cope more positively and effectively with their autistic children.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that starts in childhood and lasts the rest of one’s life
It was found through meta-analysis that social support and quality of life had a moderately significant positive correlation (r = 0.474), and the conclusion that social support can directly predict quality of life among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was consistent with the findings of Bohadana et al [74], Hsiao [20], Khanna [40], and Pozo et al.’s [30] studies
Previous studies have reported that Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) had a higher reliability score and was more commonly used than Family Support Scale (FSS) among parents of children with disabilities [23, 51,52,53, 81, 98]. In line with these findings, we showed that the correlation between social support and parenting stress measured by MSPSS was stronger than that measured by FSS
Summary
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that starts in childhood and lasts the rest of one’s life. Autism is defined by social and linguistic deficits, as well as stereotyped, repetitive behaviors and interests [1]. It has an impact on how a person acts and interacts with others, as well as how they communicate and learn. According to the first Chinese autistic industry report, published in 2014, the prevalence of autistic children in China is about 1:100, so it is estimated that the total population of autism in China is about 10 million, and the number of autistic children between the ages of 0 and 14 years old is about 2.2 million, growing by 200,000 per year
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