Abstract

Background & Objectives: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most commonly occurring abnormalities in children with various presentations that challenge the individual's social skills, verbal and written communication, and repetitive behaviors. Children with ASD may display a series of externalizing problem behaviors, including aggression, non–compliance, and defiance. Such problem behaviors are associated with increased stress and depression in parents. Mothers of children with ASD are confronted with ongoing challenges that can influence various aspects of family life. Mindful parenting is defined as having a non–judgmental, moment–to–moment awareness of parent–child interactions and relationships, and paying attention to your child. Self–compassion involves being touched by and open to one's own suffering, desiring to alleviate it, and healing oneself with kindness. It also involves accepting and understanding one's pain, inadequacies, and failures non–judgmentally. So, this research determined the mediating role of self–compassion in the relationship between mindful parenting and children's behavior problems and parental stress among mothers of children with autism living in Isfahan City, Iran.

Methods: The present study, considering the nature of the subject and the intended objectives, was a correlational study of the causal type. The statistical population consisted of all mothers who referred to private and public autism centers in Isfahan during the summer of 2017. Accordingly, among the mothers attending autism centers in Isfahan in the summer of 2017, 120 participants were selected via convenience sampling, according to the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria. Given that the study's conceptual model included three variables and accounting for attrition and incomplete questionnaires, a sample of 120 participants was considered adequate for the present research. The research questionnaires were administered individually. To examine the research objectives, the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach using the path analysis method was employed. The independent and dependent variables of the study were entered into the structural equation model as latent variables in first–order factor models. To ensure ethical considerations, all questionnaires were administered anonymously, with participants' informed consent, and participants were assured that the data would be analyzed collectively. The participants completed the Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting (IMP) Scale (Duncan et al., 2009), the Self–compassion Scale (SCS)–Short Form (Raes et al., 2011), and the Parenting Stress Questionnaire (Friedrich et al., 1983). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and AMOS version 23 software through structural equation modeling.

Results: Mindful parenting and self–compassion together explained 26% of the variance in parenting stress. Based on the values for the coefficient of determination, this effect size was estimated to be moderate. In addition, the direct effects of mindful parenting (p=0.048) and self–compassion (p=0.047) on parenting stress were statistically significant. Moreover, the indirect effect of mindful parenting on parenting stress was statistically significant (p=0.044). The overall fit indices of the structural equation model, within acceptable ranges, indicated that the proposed model was supported by the research data (CMIN/df=2.99, CFI=0.92, AGFI=0.90, GFI=0.91, RMSEA=0.06).

Conclusion: According to the results, self–compassion mediates the relationship between mindful parenting and parental stress among mothers of children with ASD. Therefore, examining the mediating role of self–compassion in the relationship between mindful parenting and parenting stress among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder can be considered one of the important research priorities in the field of psychological sciences.