Personal Growth and Mental Health in the Transition to Parenthood among Siblings of Individuals with ASD: The Contribution of Personal, Familial, and Environmental Factors

In recent decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses in children. The birth of a child with ASD has far-reaching implications for the family system, particularly for siblings. While there is a substantial body of research that examines the sibling experiences in early childhood, relatively little research has investigated the long-term implications of their siblinghood, especially during the transition to parenthood. 

The transition to parenthood is a developmental milestone characterized by a shift from a familiar reality to a novel one, as young parents must rebalance the allocation of their resources. Preliminary studies have explored the perceptions of siblings of individuals with ASD as they approach parenthood, revealing their unique concerns. The current study aimed to shed light on the unique challenges siblings of individuals with ASD face as they navigate the transition to parenthood. By comparing siblings of individuals with ASD to siblings of typically developing (TD) individuals, we sought to predict how personal characteristics such as parenting competence, cognitive appraisal, hope, and environmental characteristics such as perceived social support influence personal growth and mental health during the transition to parenthood. The study was based on the Schaefer and Moos model (1992) and examined the personal and environmental characteristics that contribute to the personal growth and mental health of siblings of individuals with ASD during life transitions. The current study extends the model by examining the contribution of the hope variable to personal growth during the transition to parenthood.

A cross-sectional quantitative research design was employed for this study. Participants were recruited via a snowball sampling technique through an online survey. One hundred and four participants were included in the study: 52 siblings of individuals with ASD, and 52 siblings of TD individuals, both parents of infants and toddlers. The groups were matched according to parent gender and age, and infant/toddler age. Participants completed the following questionnaires: the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Hope Scale, a cognitive appraisal scale, The Mental Health Inventory-5, the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory adapted for parents during the transition to parenthood.

The findings revealed significant differences between groups in perceived parenting competence, perceived social and family support, cognitive appraisal of the situation, and mental health. Siblings of individuals with ASD reported lower levels of parenting competence, social and family support, and mental health than members of the control group. Specifically, regarding the perceived social and family support scale, significant differences were found only for the subscales of family support and significant other support, with siblings of individuals with ASD reporting lower levels of support in these areas. Additionally, siblings of individuals with ASD perceived the transition to parenthood as more threatening and less challenging than members of the control group. No differences were found between groups regarding hope and personal growth. An examination of the relationships between variables revealed a significant positive correlation between perceived parenting competence and mental health in both study groups. Thus, higher levels of perceived parenting competence were associated with better mental health. 

Conversely, no significant correlation was found between perceived parenting competence and personal growth. Furthermore, a relationship was found between social and family support and various aspects of mental health. However, when examining the relationship between social and family support and personal growth, a significant positive correlation was found only between social support and personal growth among siblings of individuals with ASD. Among siblings of TD individuals, a significant positive correlation was found only between family support and personal growth. Additionally, the study found that among siblings of individuals with ASD, perceiving the situation as a challenge was a predictor of greater personal growth. An examination of mental health and personal growth predictors revealed that perceived parenting competence, social and family support, appraisal of the situation as a challenge, appraisal of the situation as a threat, and hope explained 39.5% of the variance in personal growth. Similarly, these variables accounted for 54.3% of the variance in mental health. Among siblings of individuals with ASD, social and family support, appraisal of the situation as a challenge, and low level of appraisal of the situation as a threat were predictors of mental health. 

The study examined for the first time the relationship between personal and environmental resources and personal growth and mental health among siblings of individuals with ASD during the transition to parenthood. The study's findings extend the Schaefer and Moos model (1992) to intergenerational aspects and highlight the unique (differential) contributions of different types of support for young parents from diverse family backgrounds. Findings point to a greater need for emotional support and assistance among siblings of individuals with ASD than among siblings of non-autistic individuals during the transition to parenthood due to a lack of sufficient family support and low perceived parenting competence. Therefore, it is recommended to develop tailored therapeutic interventions for siblings of individuals with ASD and their parents both during childhood and during the transition to parenthood.