Comparing the Effects of Stress Control Skill Training and Self-Awareness Training on the Quality of Mother-Child Relationships in Mothers with Autism Children

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Mothers of autism children usually have many problems and challenges in their relationships with their children. Accordingly, the aim of this research was comparing the effect of stress control skill training and self-awareness training on the quality of mother-child relationship in mothers of autism children.

Methodology: This research was a quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. The research population was all mothers of autism children of Sari city in the second half of 2024 year, which number of 45 people of them were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly assigned into three equal groups. The first experimental group received 7 sessions of 90 minute by stress control skill training, the second experimental group received 8 sessions of 90 minute by self-awareness training, and the control group remained on the waiting list for training. Data were collected using the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (Pianta, 1992) and analyzed using by methods of analysis of variance with repeated measures and Bonferroni post hoc test in SPSS software.

Findings: The results of this study showed that both methods of stress control skill training and self-awareness training in compared to the control group improved the quality of mother-child relationship in mothers with autism children, and the results were maintained at the follow-up stage (P<0.01). Also, the effect of self-awareness training was greater than the stress control skill training in improving the quality of the mother-child relationship in them (P<0.05).

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it is suggested that therapists and counselors use the self-awareness training method to improve the mother-child relationship.