Charting a new path forward - Maternal cognitive adaptation to child’s autism diagnosis in relation to their psychological functioning
Charting a new path forward - Maternal cognitive adaptation to child’s autism diagnosis in relation to their psychological functioning
StatusPost-Print
Alternative title
Authors
Król, Magdalena
Tokarek, Agata
Gamian-Wilk, Małgorzata
Jopek-Kurek, Grażyna
Moffitt, Paulina
Ferenc, Kinga
Monograph
Monograph (alternative title)
Date
2026-02-24
Publisher
Journal title
Research in Autism
Issue
Volume
132
Pages
Pages
1-10
ISSN
3050-6565
ISSN of series
Access date
2028-02-24
Abstract PL
Abstract EN
Child’s autism diagnosis is a significant and often challenging event for the parents, requiring psychological adjustment and adaptation. We explored how various patterns of thinking that emerge in response to a child's diagnosis, relate to parental mental health and well-being. We developed and validated the Maternal Cognitive Adaptation to Child's Autism Diagnosis (MCACAD) scale in a sample of 443 mothers of children aged 2–18 years. We identified five distinct cognitive adaptation mechanisms: Belief in Recovery, Comparisons, Belief in Family Growth, Belief in Personal Growth, and Denial of Diagnosis. Factor analysis revealed good psychometric properties, with the five-factor structure explaining 59.63 % of total variance. Results showed that meaning-focused adaptations (Belief in Personal and Family Growth) were associated with better mental health outcomes, while Social Comparisons predicted poorer outcomes. Denial of Diagnosis was associated with increased anxiety, but also was inversely associated with time since diagnosis, suggesting it may act as a shield against initial change-related uncertainty. We have also found that Caregiver burden was the strongest predictor of psychological functioning across all measures. These findings suggest that understanding maternal cognitive adaptations may help identify parents needing additional support and inform interventions promoting adaptive coping strategies following child’s autism diagnosis.
Abstract other
Keywords PL
Keywords EN
Autism spectrum disorder
Maternal adaptation
Cognitive coping mechanisms
Psychological wellbeing
Caregiver burden
Maternal adaptation
Cognitive coping mechanisms
Psychological wellbeing
Caregiver burden
Keywords other
Sustainable Development Goals
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Sytuacja rodziców dzieci ze spektrum autyzmu - związek wykluczenia społecznego i adaptacyjnych przekonań z dobrostanem psychicznym
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