Social Support and Family Functioning in Chinese Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Families caring for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have reported poorer family functioning. Social support might strengthen family functioning, but limited research to date has focused on this association in China. This study conducted a cross-sectional survey of Chinese families that have children with ASD to examine the relationship between social support and family functioning. Caregivers of children with ASD from Sichuan province in China (N = 167) were surveyed concerning their perceived social support and family functioning. The Social Support Rating Scale was used to investigate caregivers’ perceived social support from three dimensions: subjective support, objective support, and the utilization of support. A Chinese version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale was used to investigate their perceptions of family cohesion and adaptability. The Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression were used for analyses. The results suggested that social support was positively related to family cohesion and adaptability. Of the three sub-domains of social support, both subjective support and the utilization of support were positively associated with family cohesion and adaptability. The study’s findings evidenced the importance of different types of social support and could be used to develop a targeted support service for families that have children with ASD to improve their family functioning and sustain the family unit.

Childhood Trauma and Psychological Distress: A Serial Mediation Model among Chinese Adolescents

“…These resources and supports may help individuals and their families to cope with the traumatic environment, and further contribute to the family adaption. A previous study found the effect of social support on family functioning in Chinese families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, which may provide support for our results [33].…”

“…However, if an individual is exposed to a traumatic environment (often in the family) in childhood, this individual may be capable of changing or disengaging from the traumatic environment during adolescence through other supports and resources (e.g., communities, teachers, psychological counselors, and peers) because the person has a wider social circle during adolescence. A previous study also found that the social support of family members could affect family functioning [ 33 ]. Therefore, we hypothesized that social support may be an antecedent of family functioning in the present study.…”

Family and Psychosocial Functioning in Bipolar Disorder: The Mediating Effects of Social Support, Resilience and Suicidal Ideation

“…Patients with BD reported less social support than the general population, especially subjective support, which is consistent with the article by Lei and Kantor (2021). A previous study illustrated that subjective support was correlated with the behavior and development of patients as a psychological perception of reality (Lu et al, 2021).…”

“…A previous study illustrated that subjective support was correlated with the behavior and development of patients as a psychological perception of reality (Lu et al, 2021). The assessment of the patient's satisfaction with being respected, understood, and supported in society is necessary when intervening in the social support of patients with bipolar disorder (Lei and Kantor, 2021). Although the measurements are inconsistent, the findings are consistent previous studies (Guerrero-Jimenez et al, 2021;Lei and Kantor, 2021) suggesting that social support is related to family functioning and psychosocial functioning.…”

Benevolent Childhood Experiences and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Undergraduates: A Moderated Mediation Model Examining the Roles of Uncertainty Stress and Family Relationship

“…Firstly, the better family relationships play as a foundation of BCE ( 44 ), which can promote the development of family-related BCE, increasing the protective effect of BCE on the US ( 55 ). Secondly, family is one of the most important resources of social support ( 68 ) and family resilience ( 60 ), the better relationship in the family often represents the higher family social support and family resilience, which can both enhance their BCE and enable them to flourish with warmth, support, and cohesion by successfully coping with the US ( 60 ). The attachment theory indicated that one's emotional needs can be satisfied by warm and supportive parenting and a positive family atmosphere, leading to less preoccupation with one's negative mild mental problems ( 69 ).…”