Prediction of Psychological Disturbances in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder based on Mindfulness and Rumination

Background and Purpose: Autism spectrum disorder is one of the most difficult childhood disorders that is characterized by persistent degeneration in social interaction, communication, repetitive behaviors, and limited interests. The multiple problems of these children cause family members, especially the mother, to be disturbed and tense. The purpose of this study was to predict the psychological disturbances of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder based on mindfulness and rumination. Method: The design of this research is descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of the study consisted of all mothers of children with ASD referring to the centers of children with special needs in Rasht city in the first semester of the academic year 2017-2018. Among these mothers, 96 were selected by random sampling method. The subjects responded to the questionnaires of mind-consciousness (Baer et al., 2006), rumination (Nullen and Hoeksma, 1991), and psychological distress (Kessler et al, 2002). The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression. Results: The findings of the study showed that there was a negative significant relationship between the total score of mindfulness and the subscales of observation, action with Knowledge, and non-judgment of the inner experience, and the psychological disturbance of the mothers with autistic children (p<0/0001). Also, the results of regression analysis indicated that mindfulness and its subscales, as well as rumination (with a confidence of 99%), could predict changes in the variables of psychological disturbances of mothers of children with ASD. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that mindfulness and rumination can predict the psychological disturbances in mothers of children with ASD. The implication of the result obtained in this paper is discussed.