Thursday, May 20, 2010
Franklin Hall B Level 4 (Philadelphia Marriott Downtown)
3:00 PM
Background: Mothers of children with ASD’s report greater stress when compared to parents of typically developing children or children with Down syndrome. However, there is a paucity of research that has examined hope or worry in these parents.
Objectives: Mothers’ perceptions of their child’s disability, as well as their own characteristics, seem to better predict adjustment than measures of diagnosis or degree of impairment. The present study examined both parent and child characteristics in relation to mothers’ hope and worry.
Methods: Two hundred-fifty nine mothers and step-mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (n = 199) and Down syndrome (n = 60) participated in this study. Participants were recruited via advertisements placed in newsletters and on websites of organizations associated with autism spectrum disorders and Down syndrome. Data was collected via an online survey.
Mothers provided demographic information pertaining to themselves as well as their child. They also completed The State Hope Scale, The Penn State Worry Questionnaire and The Maternal Worry Scale for Children with Chronic Illness.
Results: A hierarchical linear regression was used to predict dispositional (Penn State) worry. The independent variables were entered in 3 steps: (i) diagnosis, (ii) impairment, (iii) hope (State Hope Scale). Results indicate that the overall model predicts dispositional worry, where F (5, 253) = 13.78, p = .00.
A hierarchical linear regression was performed where future related (Maternal Chronic Illness) worry was the dependent variable. The independent variables were entered in 3 steps: (i) diagnosis, (ii) child's impairment (ATEC), (iii) child's age. Results indicate that the overall model predicts future related worry, where F (5, 253) = 10.64, p = .00.
A hierarchical linear regression was performed to predict hope (State Hope Scale). The independent variables were entered in 3 steps: (i) diagnosis, (ii) child's impairment (ATEC) (iii) Mother's Education (years). Results indicate that the overall model is a significant predictor of hope, where F (5, 252) = 15.16, p = .00.
It was found that mothers’ level of maternal (future) worry differed depending on child's diagnosis where F (3, 255) = 3.01, p = .031. Mothers of children with autism reported more future related worry than mothers of children with Down syndrome, where p = .042. Mothers’ level of hope varied by diagnosis, where F (3, 255) = 7.07, p = .00. Mothers of children with autism reported less hope than mothers of children with Down syndrome, where p = .00.
Conclusions: Mothers with higher hope reported lower dispositional worry. Children’s level of impairment was significantly associated with dispositional and maternal (future) worry, where more severe impairment correlated with higher levels of worry. Child’s level of impairment was also associated with hope, where mothers of children with less severe impairment reported higher levels of hope. Mothers’ level of education was associated with hope, where mothers with more years of education reported higher levels of hope. These findings further inform our understanding of the experience of raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder or Down syndrome.
Objectives: Mothers’ perceptions of their child’s disability, as well as their own characteristics, seem to better predict adjustment than measures of diagnosis or degree of impairment. The present study examined both parent and child characteristics in relation to mothers’ hope and worry.
Methods: Two hundred-fifty nine mothers and step-mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (n = 199) and Down syndrome (n = 60) participated in this study. Participants were recruited via advertisements placed in newsletters and on websites of organizations associated with autism spectrum disorders and Down syndrome. Data was collected via an online survey.
Mothers provided demographic information pertaining to themselves as well as their child. They also completed The State Hope Scale, The Penn State Worry Questionnaire and The Maternal Worry Scale for Children with Chronic Illness.
Results: A hierarchical linear regression was used to predict dispositional (Penn State) worry. The independent variables were entered in 3 steps: (i) diagnosis, (ii) impairment, (iii) hope (State Hope Scale). Results indicate that the overall model predicts dispositional worry, where F (5, 253) = 13.78, p = .00.
A hierarchical linear regression was performed where future related (Maternal Chronic Illness) worry was the dependent variable. The independent variables were entered in 3 steps: (i) diagnosis, (ii) child's impairment (ATEC), (iii) child's age. Results indicate that the overall model predicts future related worry, where F (5, 253) = 10.64, p = .00.
A hierarchical linear regression was performed to predict hope (State Hope Scale). The independent variables were entered in 3 steps: (i) diagnosis, (ii) child's impairment (ATEC) (iii) Mother's Education (years). Results indicate that the overall model is a significant predictor of hope, where F (5, 252) = 15.16, p = .00.
It was found that mothers’ level of maternal (future) worry differed depending on child's diagnosis where F (3, 255) = 3.01, p = .031. Mothers of children with autism reported more future related worry than mothers of children with Down syndrome, where p = .042. Mothers’ level of hope varied by diagnosis, where F (3, 255) = 7.07, p = .00. Mothers of children with autism reported less hope than mothers of children with Down syndrome, where p = .00.
Conclusions: Mothers with higher hope reported lower dispositional worry. Children’s level of impairment was significantly associated with dispositional and maternal (future) worry, where more severe impairment correlated with higher levels of worry. Child’s level of impairment was also associated with hope, where mothers of children with less severe impairment reported higher levels of hope. Mothers’ level of education was associated with hope, where mothers with more years of education reported higher levels of hope. These findings further inform our understanding of the experience of raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder or Down syndrome.