Open AccessThe Effect of Quality of the Relationship Between Mothers and Adult Children With Schizophrenia, Autism, or Down Syndrome on Maternal Well‐Being: The Mediating Role of Optimism
Author(s) -
Greenberg Jan Steven,
Seltzer Marsha Mailick,
Krauss Marty Wyngaarden,
Chou Rita JingAnn,
Hong Jinkuk
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
american journal of orthopsychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.959
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1939-0025
pISSN - 0002-9432
DOI - 10.1037/0002-9432.74.1.14
Subject(s) - optimism , autism , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , psychology , mental health , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , psychotherapist
This article investigates the effects of the quality of the relationship between maternal caregivers and their adult child with disabilities on maternal well‐being and whether this effect is mediated by dispositional optimism. Mothers caring for an adult child with Down syndrome ( n = 126), schizophrenia ( n = 292), or autism ( n = 102) were surveyed. Mothers of adults with schizophrenia and autism had better psychological well‐being when the mother/adult child relationship was positive, but this effect was mediated totally or partially by optimism. For all 3 groups, optimism was related to better mental and physical health. The findings highlight the importance of dispositional optimism, a psychological resource that has been virtually ignored in studies of family caregivers of adults with disabilities.