Wen Xiaohong, Ren Jie, Li Xingkai, Li Jianlin, Chen Suiqing
School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.
Center for Special Education Research, School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.
Curr Psychol. 2022 Oct 19:1-12. doi: 10.1007/s12144-022-03869-3.
The positive predictive effect of children's problem behaviors on parenting stress has been verified to some extent, but research on parents of children with special needs remains insufficient. Moreover, the role of parental personality traits in the relationship between children's problem behaviors and parenting stress, and whether it differs from before the COVID-19 pandemic, remains unclear. Accordingly, in this study, online questionnaires were used to survey parents of children with autism and intellectual disabilities in China - 337 parents before and 604 during the COVID-19 pandemic - to explore the relationship between problem behaviors in the children and parenting stress as well as the moderating effect of parents' personality. The results showed that problem behaviors of children with autism and intellectual disabilities had a positive predictive effect on parenting stress. However, there was no significant difference in this effect before and during the pandemic. In addition, the relationship between children's problem behaviors and parenting stress was moderated by the Agreeableness and Neuroticism of the parents, but only during COVID-19 pandemic. The research results suggest that, during the pandemic when facing problem behaviors of children with autism or intellectual disabilities, positive personality characteristics such as Agreeableness have a protective effect on parenting stress. By contrast, negative personality characteristics such as Neuroticism are risk factors. The study results provide evidence from special groups regarding the role of parents' personalities in the parent - child interaction and the parenting stress models.
儿童问题行为对养育压力的正向预测作用已在一定程度上得到验证，但针对特殊需求儿童家长的研究仍显不足。此外，父母人格特质在儿童问题行为与养育压力关系中的作用，以及与新冠疫情之前相比是否有所不同，仍不明确。因此，本研究采用在线问卷对中国自闭症和智力残疾儿童的家长进行了调查——在新冠疫情之前调查了337名家长，疫情期间调查了604名家长——以探讨儿童问题行为与养育压力之间的关系以及父母人格的调节作用。结果显示，自闭症和智力残疾儿童的问题行为对养育压力具有正向预测作用。然而，疫情之前和期间这一作用并无显著差异。此外，儿童问题行为与养育压力之间的关系受到父母宜人性和神经质人格特质的调节，但仅在新冠疫情期间如此。研究结果表明，在疫情期间面对自闭症或智力残疾儿童的问题行为时，宜人性等积极人格特质对养育压力具有保护作用。相比之下，神经质等消极人格特质则是风险因素。研究结果为特殊群体提供了证据，证明了父母人格在亲子互动和养育压力模型中的作用。
