2016 Gatlinburg Conference Poster
PS-13
Title: The Relationship between Spirituality and Well-Being in Mothers of Children with ASD: The Mediating Roles of
Relationship Satisfaction and Positive Perceptions
Authors: Kelcie D. Willis, Lisa Timmons, Megan Pruitt, Naomi V. Ekas
Introduction: Previous research has found that mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report more stress,
depression, and anxiety than mothers of other children. However, in recent years, the focus has shifted to examining how
positive constructs, such as spirituality, might impact well-being. Indeed, studies have shown that spirituality is associated with
better well-being in mothers of children with ASD (Ekas, Whitman, & Shivers, 2009), yet the mechanisms underlying this
relationship are unclear. Research in the general population suggests that spirituality is beneficial for reducing marital conflict
(Lambert & Dollahite, 2006) and aids in positive cognitive reappraisal (Tunali & Power, 2002). Both of these constructs have been
found to be important predictors of well-being among mothers of children with ASD (Lickenbrock, Ekas, & Whitman, 2011). Thus,
the purpose of this study is to investigate the roles of relationship satisfaction and positive perceptions in the relationship
between spirituality and well-being.
Method: The sample consisted of 72 mothers who reported having a child aged 2-18 diagnosed with ASD. Mothers completed
questionnaires assessing spirituality, relationship satisfaction (CSI), positive perceptions of their child with ASD (KIPP), and
anxiety (STAI).
Results: Spirituality was positively associated with both relationship satisfaction (a1 = 4.60, SE = 2.15, p < .05) as well as positive
perceptions (a2 = 2.28, SE = .89, p < .01) respectively. In turn, an increase in both relationship satisfaction (b1 = -.15, SE = .07, p <
.05) and positive perceptions (b2 = -.40, SE = .16, p < .01) was negatively associated with anxiety. The direct effect of spirituality
on anxiety was not significant (c' = -.26, SE = 1.25, p = .84). The conditional indirect effect of spirituality on well-being through the
mediators relationship satisfaction, b = -.67 (95% CI: -2.07, -.05), and positive perceptions, b = -.92 (95% CI: -2.23, -.14), was
significant for each according to bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals. Therefore, both relationship satisfaction and
positive perceptions fully mediated the relationship between spirituality and anxiety.
Discussion: The goal of this study was to examine the process by which spirituality affects well-being in mothers of children with
ASD. Our results are consistent with previous research and confirm our original hypothesis that relationship satisfaction and
positive perceptions serve as mechanisms to explain the relationship between spirituality and well-being. This finding has
important implications with respect to how clinicians might ameliorate the anxiety of mothers with children with ASD.
Interventions that focus on the daily spiritual experiences of parents of ASD should be implemented. According to our findings,
targeting spirituality may result in improvements in parents' romantic relationships, views of their child's disability, and their
mental health status.
References/Citations:
• Ekas, N. V., Whitman, T. L., & Shivers, C. (2009). Religiosity, spirituality, and socioemotional functioning in mothers of
children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(5), 706-719.
doi:10.1007/s10803-008-0673-4
• Lambert, N. M., & Dollahite, D. C. (2006). How religiosity helps couples prevent, resolve, and overcome marital conflict.
Family Relations, 55(4), 439-449. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2006.00413.x
• Lickenbrock, D. M., Ekas, N. V., & Whitman, T. L. (2011). Feeling good, feeling bad: Influences of maternal perceptions of
the child and marital adjustment on well-being in mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder. Journal of
Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(7), 848-858. doi:10.1007/s10803-010-1105-9
• Tunali, B., & Power, T. G. (2002). Coping by redefinition: Cognitive appraisals in mothers of children with autism and
children without autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32(1), 25-34. doi:10.1023/A:1017999906420