The effect of spiritual coping and positive thinking skills on parental exhaustion in mothers of children with autism

In this study, it is aimed to determine the impact of spiritual coping and positive thinking skills of mothers of children with autism on parental burnout. The research, conducted in a descriptive cross-sectional model, was carried out between March 13 and November 1, 2024, with the participation of 261 mothers whose children with autism received education at special education schools and rehabilitation centers affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in the center and districts of Tokat. The data collection tools used in the research were the Personal Information Form, Spiritual Coping Scale, Positive Thinking Skills Scale, and Parental Burnout Evaluation Scale. In the evaluation of the data, Mean ± Standard Deviation, categorical variables in terms of frequency and percentage (%), Median, Independent Samples t-test or One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for parametric conditions, and Mann-Whitney U Test and Kruskal-Wallis Variance Analysis for non-parametric conditions were used. The skewness and kurtosis coefficients were used to test the normality assumption. To examine the relationships between variables, Pearson Correlation Analysis and Regression Analysis were applied. It was found that 46.8% of the mothers who participated in the study were primary school graduates, 74.3% were housewives, with an average age of 36.81 ± 7.18 years, 67.8% had male children with autism, 57.1% did not receive help in child care, and 72% did not receive spiritual support for their children's care. The average score for the Positive Thinking Skills Scale of the mothers was 14.11 ± 4.19, the average score for the Spiritual Coping Scale was 102.06 ± 18.08, and the score for the Parental Burnout Scale was 27.18 ± 24. No relationship was found between positive thinking skills and spiritual coping. vii However, a negative, weak but significant relationship was found between positive thinking skills and parental burnout (r = -0.226; p < 0.001). Similarly, a negative but weak relationship was found between spiritual coping skills and parental burnout. As a result of the regression analysis, it was found that positive thinking skills (β = -0.195; p < 0.05) and spiritual coping (β = -0.275; p < 0.05) had a significant effect on parental burnout. The variance in parental burnout explained by the mothers' positive thinking skills and spiritual coping was 11.9%. In conclusion, spiritual coping and positive thinking skills have an effect on parental burnout in mothers of children with autism.