An examination in the scope of double ABCX stress model: family adaptation and emotion socialization reactions of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder

The main purpose of the current study is to examine the psychological well-being and emotion socialization reactions of parents of children with ASD, both in relation to each other as well as their relations with the other aspects of Double ABCX Stress Model. In this scope, the parental emotion socialization reactions (Eisenberg, Spinrad, & Cumberland, 1998b) are studied in relation to Double ABCX Stress Model (Lavee, McCubbin, & Patterson, 1985). With purposive sampling, 140 parents of children with ASD between the ages of 3-18 are reached from a variety of cities in Turkey, such as Bursa, Yalova, Çanakkale, Eskişehir, and Balıkesir. The parents who consent to participate to study are requested to fill in the questionnaires regarding demographics, stress and well-being, stigma perception, mindful parenting, social support, family context, and emotion socialization reactions. Results showed that there are direct relations between parental well-being and stigma perception, reactive and rythmyc temperament of child, psychological well-being, psychological resilience, ASD parental stress; as well as the indirect relations through mindful parenting, family communication and emotional context, social support, and family cohesion. Furthermore, parental emotion socialization reactions showed relations with parental perception of stigma, reactive and rythmyc temperament of child, mindful parenting, family communication and emotional context, social support, family cohesion, psychological well-being, psychological resilience, and ASD parenting stress, both in direct relations and mediation models. Specially, parents' adaptation to crisis and mindful parenting played mediator roles in the relationship between the perception of stigma and emotion socialization reactions. Finally, there is also gender differences in favor of mothers in all these direct and indirect relationships. Keywords: Autism, stigma, psychological well-being, stress, mindful parenting, social support, family cohesion, parental emotion socialization reactions.