Effectiveness of Coping Strategies in Reducing Anxiety in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

M. Azadyekta, Ph D

This study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of coping strategies in reducing anxiety symptoms in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Pretest, posttest research design (with control group) was utilized in this quasi-experimental study. The population of the study comprised all mothers of children with ASD who had referred to psychological clinics during a six-month period for receiving play therapy for their children. Convenience sampling method was used and 20 mothers were selected and randomly assigned to control (N=10) and experimental (N=10) groups. The instrumentation comprised Cattell inventory of anxiety. The experimental group received 10 sessions of training in coping strategies (cognitive–behavioral intervention), whereas the control group received no intervention. For the purpose of data analysis ANCOVA was used. Results showed anxiety symptoms decreased significantly in the control group (p<0.001); however, this group suffered from relapse in a four-month period and the anxiety level became close again to the baseline.

Key words: coping strategies, anxiety, children with autism spectrum disorder