Abstract

This study compared the relationships among respite care, uplifts, stress, and marital quality across two different groups of caregivers' 102 heterosexual married couples with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 111 heterosexual married couples with children with Down syndrome (DS). This study also investigated if the effect of respite care on stress and marital quality varied as a function of the amount of uplifts these caregivers experienced. Participants completed self-report surveys. Three two-group Actor Partner Interdependence Models were estimated to calculate the direct, indirect, and partner-effects among these variables. Respite care was not related to stress for either groups of parents, but it was positively associated with husband and wife marital quality for parents of children with ASD. Uplifts were negatively associated with stress and positively associated with marital quality for both husbands and wives with children with ASD, but only for wives with children with DS. Furthermore, when husbands and wives with children with ASD reported more weekly respite hours and daily uplifts, wives tended to report more daily stress. However, as husbands and wives reported less weekly respite care and more daily uplifts, wives tended to report less daily stress. Implications for these findings are discussed.

Degree

MS

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Marriage, Family, and Human Development

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2016-06-01

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd8725

Keywords

autism, Down syndrome, husband, wife, respite care, stress, uplifts, marital quality

Language

english

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