Relationship between caregiver burden and family resilience among Chinese parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: The mediating role of social support and positive cognition.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to assess the impact of caregiver burden on family resilience and explore the potential mediating role of social support and positive cognition in this association among Chinese families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

DESIGN AND

METHODS

A total of 254 parents of children with ASD were recruited using convenience sampling from five ASD rehabilitation institutions in Wenzhou and Ningbo, Zhejiang Province from June to August 2021. The Zarit Burden Scale, Social Support Rate Scale, Illness Cognition Questionnaire-Parent Version, and Family Resilience Assessment Scale were employed to investigate the mediating mechanisms of social support and illness cognition between caregiver burden and family resilience. Structural equation models were conducted to evaluate the relationships among the variables.

RESULTS

This study revealed that caregiver burden negatively associated with family resilience, with social support partially mediating this relationship (accounting for 17.86 % of the total effect), and both factors being indirectly linked through social support and positive cognition (accounting for 3.76 % of the total effect).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings emphasize the need for interventions aimed at enhancing social support and positive cognition to alleviate the negative effects of caregiver burden on family resilience among parents of children with ASD.