Abstract

SUMBANE, Gsakani O.. Coping strategies adopted by caregivers of children with autism in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Afr. j. disabil. (Online) [online]. 2024, vol.13, pp.1-11. ISSN 2226-7220.  https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v13i0.1384.

BACKGROUND: Emotion- and problem-focused coping strategies are frequently employed by caregivers of autistic children to increase their general well-being and resilience to the stress of raising the child. Although these strategies cannot directly address the situation, it is useful for handling stressful situations that cannot change OBJECTIVES: The study seeks to explore and understand the emotion- and problem-focused strategies that caregivers use to cope with the challenges of raising a child with autism METHOD: This was a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research study. Twenty-eight caregivers were purposive-convenient sampled from the public special schools where their autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children are schooling. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, which were then transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis RESULTS: Positive emotion-focused strategies include positive reappraisal, reframing and acceptance. Negative emotion-focused strategies include denial, emotional release, cognitive distortion, self-isolation, overprotection, negative self-talk, punishment and religion. Problem-focused coping strategies include active and adaptive coping, peer group, professional support and social support CONCLUSION: The coping methods that have been identified can be integrated into intervention programmes and serve as a guide for specialised institutions that offer more extensive knowledge and assistance to families who are caring for children with ASD CONTRIBUTION: The study contributes to understanding the emotion- and problem-focused strategies adopted by rural caregivers in managing their emotions, interpretation of the situation and adjusting to the demands of raising an autistic child

Keywords : Autism spectrum disorders; caregivers; emotion-focused coping; problem-focused coping; strategies.

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