Coping Strategies And Their Influencing Factors In Parents Of Children With Autism

Objectives:The objectives of this study were to establish a Chinese version of the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale (F-COPES), evaluate the coping strategies of parents of children with autism by using F-COPES and identify factors which influence coping strategies, with the aim of providing evidence for nursing intervention.Methods:F-COPES was translated into Chinese from English (following full forward and backward translation and cultural adaptation).A quantitative descriptive study was undertaken with a convenience sample from a training center for autism in Changchun from July to September 2010. The 98 parents of children with autism were investigated. The questionnaire consisted of two parts:(1) socio-demographic characteristics of autism children and their patients; (2) the Chinese version of F-COPES.A database was created with Epidata3.0 software and the data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 13.0). The frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation of the quantitative data were determined. Statistical difference was analyzed using t-test, analysis of variance, rank-sum test and multi-stepwise regression analysis. On the basis of relevant domestic and foreign literature, effective strategies were proposed to parents for improving their coping abilities.Results:1. The internal consistency of the Chinese version of F-COPES was good with a Cronbach alpha of 0.815 and split-half reliability of 0.807. Principal factor analysis was used to select the top 9 factors whose cumulative contribution of variance was 69.03%.2. The mean total score of F-COPES for participants in this study population was 95.95±11.74; the mean score for acquiring social support was 27.61±6.46; the mean score for reframing was 28.13±4.48; the mean score for seeking spiritual support was 7.83±3.52; the mean score for mobilizing family was 16.46±2.33; the mean score for passive appraisal was 12.51±2.23.3. In terms of coping strategies,58.1% of participants said they seek advice from relatives,51.6% seek encouragement and support from friends;34.4% know that they have the power to solve major problems,28.0% know that they have the strength within their family to solve their problems; 9.7% have faith in God,7.5% attend church services,8.6% seek advice from a Minister; 94.6% seek information and advice from persons in other families who have faced the same or similar problems, 83.9% seek assistance from community agencies and programs designed to help families in their situation; 45.2% watch television,41.9% feel that no matter what they do to prepare, they will have difficulty handling problems,25.8% believe if they wait long enough, the problem will go away.4. There was significant difference among participants' scores in terms of age, father's occupation, mother's educational level, family income, family structure, place of residence, the main caregiver in rehabilitation and the attitude of parents towards autism(P<0.05). From the result of the multi-stepwise regression test. the factors that showed a statistically significant influence on participants' scores were family income, the attitude of parents towards autism and mother's age(P<0.05).Conclusion:1. The Chinese version of F-COPES had good reliability and validity, it can be used to evaluate the coping strategies of parents of children with autism in China.2. When they face family stress, parents of children with autism have the capacity to adapt to a certain extent. The F-COPES scores of this study population are similar to those found in other research studies in the United States.3. In terms of coping strategies, the F-COPES scores indicated that the parents sought encouragement and support from friends and relatives, informal support from other families who faced similar problems, and formal support from agencies and programs. Not many were in favor of the spiritual support, and a certain proportion went with the passive appraisals.4. Family income, the attitude of parents towards autism and mother's age markedly influenced the coping strategies of parents of children with autism.