| dc.description | Autism is a severe lifelong disorder characterized by impaired social, communicative, and behavioural development. Mothers caring for individuals with autism have been shown to be more stressed than mothers of children with other developmental disorders. Research has indicated that social support buffers the effects of stress on mental health. However, whether a buffering effect is found appears to depend on how support and stress are conceptualized and measured. Moreover, the extent to which social support benefits health may depend on how well the type of support meets the needs of the stressed individual. The purpose of the present thesis was twofold. First, the relationship between several dimensions of social support and mental health was examined in caregivers faced with a specific chronic stressor. The second objective was to investigate group differences in each of three main areas of interest (i.e., stress, social support, and mental health). Mothers of 25 autistic, 24 learning-impaired, and 25 normally developing children served as participants. All mothers evaluated (a) satisfaction with support, and (b) the extent to which support meets needs, for each of three types of support--instrumental, informational, emotional support--from informal and formal sources. The Questionnaire on Resources and Stress was used as a measure of stress. Mental health was defined in terms of the Mental Health Inventory. Evidence for stress-buffering effects on mental health emerged with the extent to which both emotional and instrumental support meets needs, and perceived satisfaction with emotional support. Group differences indicated that mothers of autistic and learning-impaired children experience poorer mental health than mothers of normally developing children. Mothers of autistic children reported more stress than mothers of learning-impaired children, who were more stressed than the norm. In terms of social support, mothers of autistic children reported that instrumental support was less effective at meeting their and their child's needs than mothers of normally developing children. Evaluations of how well instrumental support meets needs made by mothers of learning-impaired children fell mid-way between those of the previous two groups. Mothers of autistic and learning-impaired children reported that informational support meets their needs less well than the norm. The extent to which emotional support meets needs did not differentiate the three groups of mothers. The present findings extend previous research in the area of stress, social support, and mental health. Specifically, these findings underscore the importance of conceptualizing social support in the context of the needs of stressed individuals. The present data also enhance our understanding of how best to serve families caring for severely impaired individuals, with the needs of individuals given important consideration. | en_US |
