Explaining the causal relationships between personality traits and psychological well-being of mothers of children with autism: The mediating role of ambivalence in expressing emotion

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to explain the causal relationships between personality traits and psychological well-being of mothers of children with autism: the mediating role of ambivalence in expressing emotions. This was a descriptive correlational study and the structural equation modeling method was used to analyze the data. The statistical population included all mothers of children with autism in special schools and rehabilitation centers in Tehran in the academic year 1400-1401, from which 300 people were selected by convenience sampling and responded to the questionnaires of ambivalence in expressing emotions (Ammons and King, 1990), NEO personality traits (Costa and McCrae, 1985), and psychological well-being (Reif, 1989). The obtained data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and AMOS24 software. The results of structural equations showed that all the fit indices obtained from the analysis support the acceptable fit of the structural model with the collected data. Among the personality traits, the factors of conscientiousness and extraversion positively and the factor of neuroticism negatively and significantly predict psychological well-being in mothers of children with autism, and ambivalence in expressing emotions negatively and significantly predicts psychological well-being in mothers of children with autism (p=0.001). Also, among mothers of children with autism, ambivalence in expressing emotions significantly mediates the relationship between personality traits and psychological well-being (p=0.001). The results of the present study can be used by counselors, psychologists, and practitioners in the field of autism.