Relationship Between Coparenting Quality, Child Challenging Behaviors, and Parental Stress
Research indicates that mothers of children with ASD demonstrate higher overall parental stress and lower health related quality of life than mothers of typically developing children. Research also suggests that parent distress and depression are strongly linked with child challenging behaviors (CCBs) such as aggression, irritability, arousal problems, and sleep problems. While a number of studies have replicated this finding, few have examined the protective factors that may moderate the effects of child CCBs on parent stress. One such factor is the coparenting relationship, referred to as “an enterprise undertaken by two or more adults working together to raise a child for whom they share responsibility”. The value of a coparenting approach is supported by related findings with ASD families that partner support (a dimension of coparenting) is associated with reduced parent stress, greater adherence to child treatments, and lowered perception of child symptom severity. Yet, few studies to date have examined the coparenting relationships of parents of children with ASD. Based on findings from other pediatric populations, we hypothesize that: 1) Coparenting quality will contribute to parenting stress, after controlling for CCBs; and 2) Coparenting quality will moderate the association between CCBs and parental stress.
METHODS
This study reports the findings of a cross-sectional survey of parents of children with ASD in a southeastern state. Participants included 203 mothers whose children were living in the home. Participants were recruited via local service providers, ASD-specific listserves, and through letters sent through SC’s Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (DDSN). ACBs were assessed using four Likert-type items created for this study (aggression toward others, self-injury, regulatory problems and noncompliance). The Parental Stress Scale (PSS) was used to measure parental stress. Coparenting quality was assessed using the brief version of the Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS-B).
RESULTS
As hypothesized, greater coparenting quality is associated with lower levels of parental stress, after controlling for child challenging behaviors. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to construct a model for predicting parental stress. In the first step, five predictors were added: Child age, health insurance benefits, child gender, the presence of a second child with ASD, and ACBs. This model was statistically significant, F(5, 197)=6.875, p<.001, R2=.127. Coparenting quality was added in the second step, which significantly improved the model fit F(1, 197)=13.596, p<.001, R2=.204. Both coparenting quality (Beta=-.244, p=.000) and ACBs (Beta=.236, p=.000) made significant contributions to parental stress.
Coparenting quality does not appear to moderate the association between ACBs of ASD severity on parental stress. The addition of the interaction term (Coparenting x ACB) did not significantly improve the model fit F(1, 195)=.385, p=.536, R2=.205.
IMPLICATIONS
Coparenting quality makes independent contributions to parent stress and may be an important intervention target to promote parent well-being. Future longitudinal research can examine the directionality of the relationship between coparenting and parental stress.