Alon Raaya
Michlalah Jerusalem College, Israel.
Autism. 2025 Aug 28:13623613251366870. doi: 10.1177/13623613251366870.
Typically developing siblings' acceptance of a sibling with Down syndrome (DS) or autism influences the nature of sibling relations and their willingness to care for their sibling with disability in the future. Optimism is a central personality characteristic in coping with challenging life situations and the emotions toward the sibling with Down syndrome/autism are prominent in siblings' adjustment to their complex circumstances. The current study examined how optimism and emotions toward a sibling with Down syndrome or autism influence typically developing siblings' acceptance of their sibling with a disability. The role of demographic variables (sex of the typically developing sibling, diagnosis, and independent functioning of the sibling with disability) was also considered. Participants included 520 Jewish-Israeli siblings (189 brothers, 331 sisters, aged 18-27). Of these, 284 had siblings with Down syndrome, and 236 had siblings with autism. Siblings completed self-report questionnaires on optimism, emotions, and acceptance. Hierarchical regressions with three-way interactions revealed that optimism, sex, and the sibling's diagnosis and independent functioning explained a significant portion of variance in acceptance. The findings highlight the importance of fostering optimism and emotional processing, particularly for siblings of individuals with autism and among brothers. These results have implications for interventions aimed at improving sibling relationships and future caregiving.Lay AbstractBeing a brother or sister to an individual with Down syndrome or autism can shape how siblings feel about and care for their sibling with the disability. This study looked at how optimism (a general positive outlook) and emotions relate to accepting the individual with the disability. The study also considered whether the non-disabled sibling's gender, diagnosis (Down syndrome or autism), and level of independent capability of the sibling with the disability contributed to the acceptance levels. Participants in the study were 520 Jewish-Israeli young adults (ages 18-27) who had a sibling with Down syndrome or autism. They answered questions about their emotions, optimism, and acceptance of the sibling with the disability. The results showed that optimism and emotions were important for acceptance, but this varied depending on whether the typically developing sibling was male or female, whether the sibling had Down syndrome or autism, and their level of independent capability. These findings suggest that helping siblings, especially brothers of individuals with autism, build optimism and process their emotions, can improve sibling relationships and support future caregiving roles.
通常情况下，发育正常的兄弟姐妹对患有唐氏综合征（DS）或自闭症的兄弟姐妹的接纳程度会影响兄弟姐妹关系的性质，以及他们未来照顾残疾兄弟姐妹的意愿。乐观是应对具有挑战性的生活状况的核心人格特征，而对患有唐氏综合征/自闭症的兄弟姐妹的情感在兄弟姐妹适应复杂环境的过程中非常突出。本研究探讨了乐观情绪以及对患有唐氏综合征或自闭症的兄弟姐妹的情感如何影响发育正常的兄弟姐妹对其残疾兄弟姐妹的接纳程度。研究还考虑了人口统计学变量（发育正常的兄弟姐妹的性别、残疾兄弟姐妹的诊断结果和独立功能）的作用。研究参与者包括520名犹太裔以色列兄弟姐妹（189名兄弟，331名姐妹，年龄在18至27岁之间）。其中，284人的兄弟姐妹患有唐氏综合征，236人的兄弟姐妹患有自闭症。兄弟姐妹完成了关于乐观、情感和接纳的自我报告问卷。包含三向交互作用的分层回归分析表明，乐观、性别以及兄弟姐妹的诊断结果和独立功能解释了接纳程度差异的很大一部分。研究结果突出了培养乐观情绪和情感处理能力的重要性，特别是对于自闭症患者的兄弟姐妹以及兄弟而言。这些结果对旨在改善兄弟姐妹关系和未来照顾情况的干预措施具有启示意义。
成为患有唐氏综合征或自闭症的人的兄弟姐妹会影响他们对残疾兄弟姐妹的感受和照顾方式。本研究探讨了乐观情绪（一种总体积极的看法）和情感与接纳残疾个体之间的关系。研究还考虑了非残疾兄弟姐妹的性别、诊断结果（唐氏综合征或自闭症）以及残疾兄弟姐妹的独立能力水平是否对接纳程度有影响。该研究的参与者是520名犹太裔以色列年轻人（年龄在18至27岁之间），他们有一个患有唐氏综合征或自闭症的兄弟姐妹。他们回答了关于自己对残疾兄弟姐妹的情感、乐观情绪和接纳程度的问题。结果表明，乐观情绪和情感对接纳程度很重要，但这因发育正常的兄弟姐妹是男性还是女性、其兄弟姐妹患有唐氏综合征还是自闭症以及他们的独立能力水平而异。这些发现表明，帮助兄弟姐妹，尤其是自闭症患者的兄弟，建立乐观情绪并处理他们的情感，可以改善兄弟姐妹关系，并支持他们未来承担照顾责任。
