Coping strategies use among mothers of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders: How do different coping strategies affect their stress and quality of life?

The relationship among stress, coping strategies (emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping) and quality of life [QOL] (physical health and mental health) was examined among 89 mothers of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs). Mothers completed a packet of surveys measuring demographics, parenting stress, coping, and QOL. Results showed significant relationships between parenting stress and physical health QOL, as well as parenting stress and mental health QOL (rs =-.321 and-.281 respectively). Stress was significantly correlated with both emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies (rs =-.332 and-.252 respectively). Emotion-focused coping was significantly correlated with both physical health QOL and mental health QOL (rs = .250 and .282 respectively). Problem-focused coping was significantly correlated with both the physical health QOL and mental health QOL (rs = .194 and .237 respectively). The two coping strategies were examined as potential mediators between stress and the two QOL domains. Results indicated that emotion-focused coping (optimism) explained a significant amount of the variance for both physical health QOL and mental health QOL (6.3% and 7.9% respectively). Problem-focused coping (social support) explained a significant amount of variance for mental health QOL (5.6%) but not physical health QOL. However, when tested formally using both the Sobel test and the bootstrap procedure recommended by Preacher and Hayes (2004), both emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies failed to achieve statistical significance as mediators between stress and the two QOL domains. Results highlight the need for additional research on how different coping strategies may be related to stress and QOL among mothers of children with HFASDs. Implications for clinical practice and future research are also discussed.