Cognitive Coping Strategies and Emotional Distress in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Year: 2013
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Mothers' emotional distress, when having a child with diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is different depending on depending on the thinking pattern (rational or irrational) and cognitive coping strategies used.The aim of this study was to assess irrational beliefs, negative automatic thoughts, emotional distress, cognitive coping strategies and the relation between them, in mothers of children with ASD.Data were collected from 65 mothers having a child with diagnosis of ASD.Several psychological instruments were used to assess the irrational beliefs (ABSs), automatic negative thoughts (ATQ), emotional distress (PAD) and cognitive coping strategies (CERQ).Mothers reported high levels of emotional distress, automatic negative thoughts and irrational beliefs.The cognitive coping strategies that correlated positively and statistically significant with emotional distress were self-blame, catastrophizing and rumination.Self-blame and catastrophizing strategies correlated positively and statistically significant with the irrational beliefs.The results also suggest that the use of maladaptive coping strategies correlates with a higher levels of irrational beliefs and emotional distress.
Authors: PREDESCU, Elena; "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj Napoca, DOBREAN, Anca; “Babes Bolyai” University, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, POP, Cristina; “Babes Bolyai” University, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, MICLUTIA, Ioana; "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj Napoca, SIPOS, Roxana; "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj Napoca
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1573279527