Parental Self-Efficacy and Positive Contributions Regarding Autism Spectrum Condition: An Actor-Partner...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Family Studies
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Couples exhibit interconnected cognitive, emotional, and behavioral influences.
• Understanding these dynamics is crucial for parental psychological adaptation, especially for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply the actor-partner interdependence model to investigate how parental self-efficacy and positive contributions influence psychological adaptation in couples raising children with ASC.
• To identify key determinants of psychological adaptation in parents of children with ASC.

Main Methods:

• Study involved 76 Spanish couples with children diagnosed with ASC.
• Validated questionnaires assessed parental self-efficacy, positive contributions, stress, anxiety, depression, and psychological well-being.
• Multilevel analysis was employed to examine actor and partner effects.

Main Results:

• Parental self-efficacy demonstrated significant actor effects, influencing an individual parent's adaptation.
• Positive contributions showed both actor and partner effects, impacting both the individual parent and their partner's psychological adaptation.
• These effects remained significant even after accounting for child-related and sociodemographic factors.

Conclusions:

• Parental self-efficacy and positive contributions are critical factors in the psychological adaptation of parents with children with ASC.
• The actor-partner interdependence model effectively explains these influences within couples.
• Findings suggest these factors should be central targets in clinical intervention programs for families affected by ASC.