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Respite Care for Single Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Abstract

Single mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders are rarely studied, yet they may experience unique stressors. Researchers asked 122 single mothers to complete questionnaires concerning respite care, daily hassles/uplifts, depression, and caregiver burden. More than half (59.8 %) accessed respite care, which was provided for 1 h per day, often by multiple sources (41 %), such as grandparents and community agencies; most were satisfied with this care. Most mothers (77 %) were at risk for clinical depression. While uplifts were negatively correlated with depression, hassles and caregiver burden were positively correlated with depression. Respite care was positively related to daily uplifts, and uplifts mediated the relationship between respite care and depression. Recommendations for researchers, policymakers, and school personnel are offered.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the single mothers who participated in this study as well as Brigham Young University’s Women’s Research Initiative and McKay School of Education for supporting and funding this research. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of BYU.

Author Contributions

TTD obtained grant funding to conduct the study, conceived of the study, coordinated all procedures, participated in the design of the data collection system, participated in data collection, participated in the statistical analysis and interpretation of the data, and drafted the final manuscript. RC participated in the development of the research methods, designed the data collection system, collected the data, participated in the statistical analysis and interpretation of the data, and drafted the initial manuscript. JH coordinated the statistical design, conducted the statistical analysis and interpretation of the data, and helped to draft the manuscript. BM participated in the development of the research methods and statistical design, and helped to draft the manuscript. SOR participated in the statistical design, participated in the interpretation of the data, and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. McKay School of Education, 301 McKay Building, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

    Tina Taylor Dyches

  2. Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education, 340 McKay Building, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

    Ruthann Christensen

  3. Couple and Family Therapy, 273 Comprehensive Clinic, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

    James M. Harper

  4. College of Nursing, 500 SWKT, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

    Barbara Mandleco

  5. School of Family Life, 2089 JFSB, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

    Susanne Olsen Roper

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  1. Tina Taylor Dyches
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  3. James M. Harper
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  4. Barbara Mandleco
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Correspondence to Tina Taylor Dyches.

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Institutional Review Board approval was granted prior to conducting this study and all procedures were performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in this study.

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Dyches, T.T., Christensen, R., Harper, J.M. et al. Respite Care for Single Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 46, 812–824 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2618-z

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