Dyadic Coping and Well-being in couples parenting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: the role of Marital Satisfaction

Introduction. In couples parenting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a partner becomes a primary source of emotional and instrumental support to deal with the additional parenting demands. Dyadic coping involves... [ view full abstract ]

Introduction. In couples parenting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a partner becomes a primary source of emotional and instrumental support to deal with the additional parenting demands. Dyadic coping involves receiving support from the partner and seeking to preserve the relationship during stressful times. In the ASD research field, individual coping strategies have been widely explored, while dyadic coping strategies have been less represented. The purpose of this study is to explore the associations among dyadic coping, marital satisfaction, and parental well-being.

Methodology. 76 couples (152 fathers and mothers) parenting children with ASD participated in this study. A booklet of questionnaires was handed to parents to obtain data. We tested an Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), through path analysis, to estimate to what degree a predictor variable (supportive dyadic coping) of a parent influences his/her own outcome and his/her partner outcome (psychological well-being), as well as the mediator role of marital satisfaction.

Results. Results showed dyadic coping was associated with psychological well-being and this relationship was mediated by marital satisfaction in both parents. In addition, two partner effects were found, namely, fathers’ and mothers’ dyadic coping predicted his/her partner marital satisfaction.

Conclusions. Both progenitors could benefit from intervention programs including specific training on dyadic coping strategies. Parents should be encouraged to seek support within the couple relationship as this has been shown to be particularly relevant for their psychological well-being.

This study was approved by the Bioethics Committee for Research of our University. Families who attended different clinical and educational centres were invited to voluntarily participate in the study. We obtained informed... [ view full abstract ]

This study was approved by the Bioethics Committee for Research of our University. Families who attended different clinical and educational centres were invited to voluntarily participate in the study. We obtained informed consent from both parents and guaranteed anonymity and confidentially.

The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.