Relationship between social support and illness uncertainty among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: a chain-mediated effect analysis
10.3760/cma.j.cn115682-20250116-00260
- VernacularTitle:孤独症儿童父母社会支持与疾病不确定感间的关系：链式中介效应分析
- Author:
Yong SHEN
1
;
Jingying ZHOU
;
Haojian ZHAN
;
Meixiang JIA
;
Hao YAN
;
Danyuan PENG
;
Jiajia LIU
;
Weihua YUE
Author Information
1. 北京大学护理学院跨学科教研室，北京 100191
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Autism spectrum disorder;
Parents;
Anxiety;
Illness uncertainty;
Social support;
Caregiving issues and service needs
- From:
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing
2025;31(26):3556-3562
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To explore the impact and underlying mechanisms of social support on illness uncertainty among parents of children with autism.Methods:A convenience sample of 312 parents of children with autism was recruited from the outpatient clinic of Peking University Sixth Hospital between September 2023 and January 2024. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Parent's Perception Uncertainty Scale (PPUS), the Social Support Scale for Families with Children with Autism, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Questionnaire on Caregiving Issues and Service Needs of Parents of Children with Autism. Independent samples t-tests or one-way ANOVA were used to compare illness uncertainty scores across different characteristics. Pearson correlation analysis examined relationships among illness uncertainty, social support, caregiving issues and service needs, and anxiety. Chain mediation analysis was conducted using the SPSS macro PROCESS v4.1 to test the mediating roles of caregiving issues and service needs and anxiety. Results:The illness uncertainty score of the 307 valid respondents was (82.40±14.09). Mediation analysis indicated a direct effect of social support on illness uncertainty (effect value=-1.040), accounting for 72.27% of the total effect (-1.040/-1.439). A chain-mediated effect through caregiving issues and service needs and anxiety was also observed (effect value=-0.065), accounting for 4.50% of the total effect (-0.065/-1.439) .Conclusions:Parents of children with autism experience a relatively high level of illness uncertainty. Enhancing social support, addressing caregiving issues and service needs, alleviating parental anxiety may reduce their illness uncertainty.
