title: Marital quality and psychological adjustment among mothers of children with ASD: cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships.
abstract: Using data drawn from a longitudinal study of families of children with ASD, the current study examined the impact of marital quality on three indicators of maternal psychological adjustment: depressed mood, parenting efficacy, and subjective well-being. Multiple regression analyses indicated marital quality to be a significant cross-sectional and longitudinal predictor of maternal adjustment. In the cross-sectional regressions, marital quality negatively predicted maternal depression and positively predicted parenting efficacy, and well-being, while in the longitudinal regressions, initial levels of marital quality negatively predicted maternal depressed mood and positively predicted well-being at follow-up. Longitudinal regression results also revealed that marital quality mediated the relationship between family SES and maternal well-being. Study limitations and implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Center for Social Development and Education, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125, USA. paul.benson@umb.edu
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kersh
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012919:Social Behavior; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires