title: Psychological well-being and coping in mothers of youths with autism, Down syndrome, or fragile X syndrome.
abstract: The psychological well-being of mothers raising a child with a developmental disability varies with the nature of the disability. Most research, however, has been focused on Down syndrome and autism. We added mothers whose adolescent or young adult son or daughter has fragile X syndrome. The sample was comprised of mothers of a child with fragile X syndrome (n = 22), Down syndrome (n = 39), or autism (n = 174). Mothers of individuals with fragile X syndrome displayed lower levels of well-being than those of individuals with Down syndrome, but higher levels than mothers of individuals with autism, although group differences varied somewhat across different dimensions of well-being. The most consistent predictor of maternal outcomes was the adolescent or young adult's behavioral symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53705, USA. abbeduto@waisman.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abbeduto
authors.forename: Marsha Mailick
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Seltzer
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shattuck
authors.forename: Marty Wyngaarden
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Krauss
authors.forename: Gael
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orsmond
authors.forename: Melissa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004314:Down Syndrome; D005260:Female; D005600:Fragile X Syndrome; D006801:Humans; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires