Similar articles

Abstract: The rising demand for child care is putting a strain on parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly mothers. This study investigated Chinese mothers of children with ASD and examined the factors associated with maternal mental health. An online national survey was completed by the parents of 5,077 ASD children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years (4892 dyads, 185 single mothers and 150 single fathers). A total of 28.0% of the mothers reported poor mental health. mothers with children aged 10-13 years had a lower chance of having poor mental health than mothers with children aged 0-2 years (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.43–0.91). mothers with high-functioning ASD children were less likely to have poor mental health than those with low-functioning ASD children (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.62–0.94). Having children with comorbidities was related with a higher risk of poor mental status (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.35–1.81), as was having conflicts with other family members (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.22–1.70) and providing full-time care (OR 1.22, CI 1.06–1.41). Having a higher-than-average family income was associated with lower risk of having poor mental health (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.58–0.82). Factors related to the children and family, and providing full-time care, have a significant effect on mothers’ mental health states. Reducing obstacles to work and social interaction, as well as tackling the financial burden of raising an ASD child, may help improve the well-being of mothers.