A Model of Marital Quality in Mothers of Children with Autism: The Interconnected Roles of Self-Compassion, Parenting Stress, and Positive Thinking

Background and Objective: Mothers of children with autism often experience high parenting stress, negatively impacting marital quality. Self-compassion may buffer stress and influence marital well-being. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between self-compassion and parenting stress in these mothers, further investigating the mediating role of positive thinking in the association of self-compassion and stress with marital quality. Materials and Methods: A correlational research design employing path analysis was utilized. The study population consisted of all mothers of children with autism living in Ahvaz in 2024. A total of 122 mothers were selected via the convenience sampling method. Data were collected using questionnaires assessing quality of life, self-compassion, parenting stress, and positive thinking. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics, including Pearson's correlation coefficient and path analysis Results: The results of the final path model demonstrated that self-compassion had significant positive direct effects on both marital quality and positive thinking in mothers of children with autism. Parenting stress, while not directly impacting marital quality, negatively influenced positive thinking. Positive thinking, in turn, strongly predicted marital quality. Furthermore, both self-compassion and parenting stress indirectly affected marital quality through the mediating role of positive thinking. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the interconnectedness of self-compassion, parenting stress, positive thinking, and marital quality in mothers, highlighting the protective role of self-compassion and the detrimental impact of parenting stress on positive thinking. Furthermore, the findings emphasize the crucial role of positive thinking in marital relationships, evidenced by its direct effect on marital quality and its mediation of the effects of both self-compassion and parenting stress.