Parental Stress and Religious Coping by Mothers of Children With Autism

Raising a child with autism can be a significant stressor, and it is important to understand the coping strategies used by parents in order to offer effective support. Considering the prevalence of religion in the U.S., we examined religious coping as a potential predictor of well-being among parents of children with autism. Forty-seven mothers completed measures of parental stress, psychological well-being, social support, positive religious coping, and spirituality. Regression analyses revealed that stress significantly predicted parent well-being, but religious coping, social support, and spirituality did not demonstrate any significant main or interactive effects. The possible implications of our results and suggestions for ways to further examine the potential role of religiosity as a source of resilience among parents of children with autism are discussed.