Sense of Coherence and Resilience among Mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental condition generally characterized by deficits in sensory processing and social interaction along with a restricted and repetitive pattern of behavior and activities. Its symptoms includes limited eye contact, problem in forming and maintaining social relationships, challenges in understanding non-verbal communication, repetitive motor actions and words. Mothers of TDC equally face all the challenges but in a different way. Sense of Coherence is a protective factor for psychological health as it helps in understanding stressors by promoting emotional regulation. Resilience helps in balancing psychological strength and adaptability to the situation. In this study, 103 mothers having ASD child and 100 mothers of TDC were included using purposive sampling. Mothers having ASD child reported significantly higher level of SOC than mothers of TDC. However, both the groups also showed average level of resilience. Targeted interventions on SOC and resilience can help in significantly improving maternal well being and their responsibilities.