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The Experience of Stress in Parents of Children with ASD in the Context of the Pattern of Temporal Perspectives and Subjective Sense of Social Support
1
Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Faculty of Social Sciences and Philology,
Kraków, Poland
2
brak
Submission date: 2025-09-30
Acceptance date: 2025-12-01
Online publication date: 2025-12-05
Corresponding author
Joanna Kossewska
Uniwersytet Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego w Krakowie, Wydział Nauk Społecznych i Filologii, Gustawa Herlinga-Grudzińskiego 1, 30-705 Kraków, Polska
Uniwersytet Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego w Krakowie, Wydział Nauk Społecznych i Filologii, Gustawa Herlinga-Grudzińskiego 1, 30-705 Kraków, Polska
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Aim. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the levels of stress experiencing by parents of children with ASD and their time perspective pattern and subjective social support. Zimbardo time perspective theory is crucial to exploring both
the predictors of positive health outcomes and stress-related mental health problems. Methods and materials. The study group consisted of three equal groups of parents (parents of children with ASD, N=30; parents of children with Down Syndrome, N=30; parents
of children with typical development, N=30). The following questionnaire measures were used: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Multidimensional Social Support Scale (MSPSS), and the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI). Results and conclusion. The results of the study showed that (1) parents of children with ASD experience higher levels of perceived stress compared to other parents, and (2) there was a statistically significant difference in the three time perspectives between parents of children with ASD and parents of children with typical development. It was proved that the level of perceived stress in parents of children with ASD correlates negatively with perceived social support. Perceived stress in parents of children with ASD was related to the specific time perspective pattern (negative past perspective and fatalistic present perspective correlated positively with stress, while positive past perspective and hedonistic present perspective correlated negatively). Higher levels of stress were experienced by parents of children with ASD who have negative beliefs about their past and a pessimistic attitude towards their present experiences.
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