Recovery experiences of working parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• Main Author: Seah, Joan Yong Ling
• Other Authors: Eunae Cho
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Psychology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/70288
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Within the recovery literature, little is known about the recovery processes of individuals who face significant demands in their non-work domain that hinder off-job recovery. As such, this study explores the recovery experience of working parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who have substantial family demands and are at high risk of several negative stress-related outcomes. Previous research suggested that being at work can help these parents experience some recovery from their family demands. Hence, this study predicted that parents of children with ASD experience recovery at work (i.e. psychological detachment, mastery, and control) comparable to that of other working adults during non-work time (Hypothesis 1). Furthermore, it examined work-related factors (i.e. job workload, perceived supervisor support, and job autonomy) and family-related factors (i.e. family workload, family involvement, and family support) as predictors of the recovery these parents experience at work (Hypothesis 2 and 3). The study variables were assessed using self-report questionnaires. Supporting hypothesis 1, the findings reflected comparable levels of psychological detachment and control but higher levels of mastery among these parents. Hypothesis 2 was unsupported as work factors were not associated with recovery and hypothesis 3 was partially supported as family factors were significantly related to control experiences. Building on the findings of the current study, future research can explore specific recovery experiences and other predictors of recovery relevant to the experiences of parents of children with ASD.