Maternal Psychological Resources in Parenting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Objectives. The challenges of raising children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often lead to stress and emotional burnout in parents. The presence and development of psychological resources in parents during family support processes contribute to improving the effectiveness of psychological support. The study examines both external and internal resources of mothers raising children with ASD in relation to symptoms of parental burnout.

Methods. The sample consisted of 80 women raising children with ASD. The average age of the mothers was 36.45±4.78 years, and the average age of the children was 6.32±2.26 years. The following instruments were used: “Diagnosis of Attitude Towards a Child’s Illness” (DOBR) by V.E. Kagan and I.P. Zhuravleva; the “Parental Burnout Questionnaire” by I.N. Efimova; the “Parent-Child Emotional Interaction Questionnaire” (ODREV) by E.I. Zakharova; and the “Self-Attitude Test Questionnaire” by V.V. Stolin and S.R. Pantileev. Data were processed using Spearman’s correlation analysis.

Results. Among the surveyed mothers raising children with ASD, 65% reported high or moderate levels of emotional exhaustion, 35% demonstrated pronounced or moderate levels of depersonalization, and 40% experienced doubts about their parental competence.

Conclusions. It was found that exaggerating the severity of the child’s illness, overall tension, and excessive focus on the child’s condition during interactions are associated with symptoms of parental burnout. Psychological resources, such as a harmonious attitude toward the child’s illness, positive emotional expressions in interactions, and adequate self-attitude based on self-understanding, self-acceptance, and self-respect, serve as protective factors preventing the development of parental burnout symptoms in mothers and positively influence the development of children with ASD. It is advisable to further explore the resources of mothers raising children with varying degrees of ASD severity, as well as to study the psychological resources of fathers raising children with ASD.

1. Bogacheva O.I., Ivanov M.V., Simashkova N.V. Opy`t aprobacii psixoobrazovatel`noj programmy` dlya semej, vospity`vayushhix detej s rasstrojstvami autisticheskogo spectra [The experience of testing a psychoeducation program for families raising children with autism spectrum disorders]. Klinicheskaya i special`naya psixologiya= Clinical and Special psychology, 2023, vol 12, no. 1, pp. 126—149. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.) DOI: 10.17759/cpse.2023120106
2. Bozhkova E.D., Balandova O.V., Konovalov A.A. Rasstroistva autisticheskogo spektra: sovremennoe sostoyanie problemy (obzor) [Autism Spectrum Disorders: State-of-the-Art (Review)]. Sovremennye tekhnologii v meditsine = Modern Technologies in Medicine, 2020, vol. 12, no. 12, pp. 111—120. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.) DOI:10.17691/stm2020.12.2.14
3. Vasilenko V.E., Saveny`sheva S.S., Zapletina O.O. Roditel`skij i povsednevny`j stress u materej detej rannego i doshkol`nogo vozrasta . [Parental and daily stress in mothers of young and preschool children]. Konsul`tativnaya psixologiya i psixoterapiya = Counseling psychology and psychotherapy, 2021, vol. 29. no. 4, (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.) 27—48. DOI:10.17759/cpp.2021290403
4. Gorina E.N., Grinina E.S., Rudzinskaya T.F. Sovremennye podkhody k izucheniyu sem’i, vospityvayushchei rebenka s rasstroistvom autisticheskogo spektra [Modern approaches to the study of a family raising a child with autism spectrum disorder]. Mir nauki: Pedagogika i psikhologiya = World of Science: Pedagogy and psychology, 2019, vol. 7, no. 5. 10 p. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.)
5. Grinina E.S., Bessonova A.A. Osobennosti roditel’skogo otnosheniya k detyam s rasstroistvami autisticheskogo spektra [Specifics of parental attitude to children with autism spectrum disorders]. Auditorium: Elektronnyi nauchnyi zhurnal Kurskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta = [Auditorium. Electronic scientific journal of Kursk State University], 2019, no. 2. 4 p. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.)
6. Efimova I. N. Vozmozhnosti issledovaniya roditel’skogo “vygoraniya” [Potentials of Studying the Parent’s “Burnout” Syndrome]. Vestnik MGOU: Seriya “Psikhologicheskie nauki” = Bulletin of the State University of Education: Series: Psychology, 2013, no. 4, pp. 31—40. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.)
7. Efimova I.N. Lichnostnye kharakteristiki i osobennosti emotsional’nykh i povedencheskikh proyavlenii roditelei v svyazi so stepen’yu ikh emotsional’nogo vygoraniya [Personal Characteristics and Features of Emotional and Behavioral Patterns of Parents in Connection with Level of Their Burnout]. Rossiiskii nauchnyi zhurnal = Russian Scientific Journal, 2013, no. 4, pp. 206—215. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.)
8. Efimova I.E. Rezul’taty issledovaniya chuvstva viny u roditelei detei s ogranichennymi vozmozhnostyami zdorov’ya [The results of a study of guilt among parents of children with disabilities]. Sovremennye nauchnye issledovaniya i razrabotki = [Modern scientific research and development], 2018, no. 6, pp. 254—257. (In Russ.)
9. Zakharov A.I. Proiskhozhdenie i psikhoterapiya detskikh nevrozov [Genesis and therapy of children’s neuroses]. Saint Petersburg: Publ. Karo, 2006. 672 p. ISBN 5-89815-704-2. (In Russ.)
10. Kvasova L.K. Psikhologicheskie osobennosti emotsional’nogo vzaimodeistviya materei i ikh prezhdevremenno rozhdennykh detei mladencheskogo vozrasta [Psychological features of emotional interaction of mothers and their prematurely born infants]. Meditsinskaya psikhologiya v Rossii = [Medical Psychology in Russia], 2019, vol. 11, no. 1, 1—3. (In Russ.) DOI:10.24411/2219-8245-2019-11030
11. Kisova V.V., Koneva I.A. Parental Attitude in Families Bringing up Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Autizm i narusheniya razvitiya = Autism and Developmental Disorders (Russia), 2022, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 12—19. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.) DOI:10.17759/autdd.2022200102
12. Koneva I.A., Krasnova E.N. Osobennosti detsko-roditel’skikh otnoshenii v sem’yakh, vospityvayushchikh detei s rasstroistvami autisticheskogo spektra, i ikh korrektsiya [Specifics of child-parent relations in families raising children with autism spectrum disorders and their correction]. Problemy sovremennogo pedagogicheskogo obrazovaniya = Problems of modern pedagogical education, 2019, no. 63-4, pp. 113—116. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.)
13. Kuz’mina A.S., Krivoshei K.O., Golovanova L.V. Prediktory roditel’skogo vygoraniya zhenshchin, vospityvayushchikh detei s rasstroistvami autisticheskogo spektra [Predictors of parental burnout in women raising children with autism spectrum disorders]. Psikholog = Psychologist, 2024, no. 2, pp. 69—80. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.) DOI:10.25136/2409-8701.2024.2.43408
14. Kuz’mina A.S., Stoyanova I.Ya., Krivoshei K.O. Simptomy roditel’skogo vygoraniya materei, vospityvayushchikh rebenka s RAS [Symptoms of Parental Burnout of Mothers Raising a Child with ASD]. Nauchnyi forum: Sibir’ = Scientific forum: Siberia, 2023, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 42—44. (In Russ.)
15. Leont’ev D.A. Samoregulyatsiya, resursy i lichnostnyi potentsial [Autoregulation, Resources, and Personality Potential]. Sibirskii psikhologicheskii zhurnal = Siberian journal of psychology, 2016, no. 62, pp. 18—37. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.) DOI:10.17223/17267080/62/3
16. Milanich Yu.M. Roditel’skoe otnoshenie k rebenku s narusheniyami psikhofizicheskogo razvitiya [Parents’ Attitude to Child with Psychophysical Development Disorders]. Vestnik Leningradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta imeni A.S. Pushkina = [Pushkin Leningrad State University Bulletin], 2010, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 44—54. (In Russ.)
17. Morozov S.A., Morozova S.S., Tarasova N.V. et al. Research on Relationships within a Family Having a Child with Autism, and Family Relations with the Social Environment. Autizm i narusheniya razvitiya = Autism and Developmental Disorders (Russia), 2023, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 89—93. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.). DOI:10.17759/autdd.2023210110
18. Morozov S.A., Chigrina S.G. Research of Characteristics of Families Raising Children with ASD. Autizm i narusheniya razvitiya = Autism and Developmental Disorders (Russia), 2022, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 78—84. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.) DOI:10.17759/autdd.2022200209
19. Nikol’skaya I.M. Klinicheskaya psikhologiya sem’i [Clinical psychology of the family]. Voprosy psikhicheskogo zdorov’ya detei i podrostkov = [Mental health issues of children and adolescents], 2005, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 7—11. (In Russ.)
20. Pechnikova L.S. Materinskoe otnoshenie k rebenku-autistu v zavisimosti ot nalichiya v sem’e zdorovogo sibsa [Maternal attitude to an autistic child depending on the presence of a healthy sibling in the family]. In Sotsial’noe i dushevnoe zdorov’e rebenka i sem’i: zashchita, pomoshch’, vozvrashchenie v zhizn’: materialy vserossiiskoi. nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii (22—25 sent. 1998 g.) [Social and mental health of the child and family: protection, help, return to life: proceedings of national research-to-practice conference (22—25 Sept. 1998)]. Moscow: Publ. Graal’, 1998. Pp. 73—74. ISBN 5-7873-0031-4. (In Russ.)
21. Pechnikova L.S. Osobennosti materinskogo otnosheniya k detyam s rannim detskim autizmom: avtoref. dis.  kand. psikhol. nauk [Specifics of maternal attitude to children with early childhood autism: absctrat of the Ph. D. dissertation in psychology] / Moscow State University. Moscow, 1997. 23 p. (In Russ.)
22. Popova E.D., Timofeeva O.V. Spetsifika otnosheniya roditelei k detyam s autizmom [The specifics of the attitude of parents to children with autism]. Molodoi uchenyi = [Young Scientist], 2022, no. 38, pp. 197—200. (In Russ.)
23. Solondaev V.K., Pisareva M.V. The Mental State of Parents in Diseases of Young Children. Autizm i narusheniya razvitiya = Autism and Developmental Disorders (Russia), 2024, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 52—57. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.) DOI:10.17759/autdd.2024220107
24. Chetvertukhina M.V. Parental Competence: the Impact of Parental Attitude towards the Child on the Course of the Crisis of Three Years. Vestnik prakticheskoi psikhologii obrazovaniya = Bulletin of Practical Psychology of Education, 2023, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 87—97. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.). DOI:10.17759/bppe.2023200207
25. Shneider L.B., Zykova M.N. Kompetentnoe roditel’stvo: uchebnoe posobie [Competent parenting: Guidebook]. Moscow: Publ. Moscow Psychological and Social University, 2018. 126 p. ISBN 978-5-9770-0952-2. (In Russ.)
26. Estes A., Munson J., Dawson G. et al. Parenting stress and psychological functioning among mothers of preschool children with autism and developmental delay. Autism, 2009, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 375—387. DOI:10.1177/1362361309105658
27. Mikolajczak M., Brianda M. E., Avalosse H. et al. Consequences of parental burnout: its specific effect on child neglect andviolence. Child Abuse & Neglect, 2018, vol. 80, pp. 134—145. DOI:10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.03.025
28. Mikolajczak M., Gross J.J., Stinglhamber F. et al. Is Parental Burnout Distinct From Job Burnout and Depressive Symptoms? Clinical Psychological Science, 2020, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 673—689. DOI:10.1177/2167702620917447
29. Mikolajczak M., Roskam I.A. Theoretical and Clinical Framework for Parental Burnout: The Balance Between Risks and Resources (BR ). Frontiers in Psychology, 2018, vol. 9, article no. 886. 11 p. DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00886