Self‐stigma and its associations with stress and quality of life among Malaysian parents of children with autism

Abstract

Background This study explored the relationship between self‐perceived stigmatization (affiliate stigma), stress and quality of life among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method Participants (N = 110) filled‐in the Affiliate Stigma Scale, the Caregiver Burden Inventory and the CarerQOL scale. Results Parents reported low scores on stigma and fair levels of stress and quality of life, indicating that parents do not feel stigmatized by affiliation with a child with ASD nor are they stressed from affiliate stigma. After controlling for demographic factors, both the relationships of affiliate stigma with stress and with quality of life were weak, indicating that stigma may have little to no effect on stress and quality of life. Conclusion Cultural and religious beliefs may play a part in the acceptance of a child's condition, resulting in less impact of stigma on the parents.

The Association between Parenting Stress, Positive Reappraisal Coping, and Quality of Life in Parents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Children: A Systematic Review

“…It comprised 25 questions divided into five categories (family, emotional well-being, parenting, physical/material well-being, and support for disability). In addition, Chu et al [ 47 ] measured the overall QoL in terms of happiness using the CarerQol visual analog scale (CarerQol-VAS) and the CarerQol-7D. Bohadana, Morrissey and Paynter [ 22 ] assessed the effects and repercussions of ASD on many dimensions of daily life using a quality of life of ASD scale.…”

“…Another study looked at the factors that influence QoL, including everyday activities, interactions between families and couples, psychological well-being, occupation, social activities and relationships, and activities and relationships with the ASD child [ 44 ]. One study discovered that a lower cognitive stigma is linked substantially with a greater quality of life and overall satisfaction [ 47 ].…”

“…Six studies investigated the association between parenting stress, coping strategies, and QoL [ 15 , 21 , 22 , 39 , 47 , 48 ]. The results were varied but generally indicated that a high degree of parenting stress could be related to inefficient coping strategies and a low level of QoL (see Table 3 ).…”

“Sometimes I Feel Grateful…”: Experiences of the Adolescent Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Malaysia

“…In the present study, our respondents viewed their siblings with ASD as a divinely-given, and therefore important challenge which motivated them to value their siblings' condition and be patient when dealing with their sibling. As a result, and despite the occasional frustrations noted earlier, cultural and religious beliefs may play a part in the acceptance of a child's condition (Chu et al, , 2020a(Chu et al, , , 2020b. Malaysia is a multicultural-multilingual country.…”

“…In one study conducted in Malaysia, in which parents of children with ASD were interviewed, they discussed their lack of knowledge about ASD, the impact of having a child with ASD in their lives, their experience with multiple barriers in seeking professional advice, and the positive aspects of receiving speech-language therapy (Chu et al, 2020a(Chu et al, , 2020b. Nevertheless, in addition to gaining insight from parents, it is essential to understand the experiences of siblings as well, who are also integral to family systems.…”