A preliminary exploration of different coping strategies used by Korean immigrant parents of autistic children in high versus low family quality of life ratings.
Vanessa C Fong, Jennifer Shim, Andy Yoon and 2 others
PMID 36317392WHAT IT FOUND
Korean immigrant parents with high family quality of life actively sought information and community support to reduce guilt and build hope.
Parents with low quality of life faced language barriers, felt isolated, and struggled with stigma and denial. This describes experiences, not proven treatments.
Key findings
01Parents reporting high family quality of life actively sought information about autism to reduce self-blame and guilt, whereas those with low quality of life faced language barriers and felt isolated.
02High quality of life parents used positive reappraisal, viewing the diagnosis as a 'blessing' that brought family closeness, while low quality of life parents experienced denial and fear of stigma.
03Faith communities and parent support groups were key sources of emotional and practical support for high quality of life families, helping them navigate services.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was very small (12 participants), limiting the generalizability of the findings. The majority of participants were mothers (11 of 12), so fathers' perspectives are under-represented. Participants were recruited through a community organization, which may mean they were more connected and supported than the general population of Korean immigrant parents. The study was cross-sectional, capturing experiences at one point in time rather than tracking changes over time. The study describes associations between coping strategies and family quality of life but does not prove that one causes the other.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The research was funded by SFU’s Community-Engaged Research Initiative, the BC SUPPORT Unit Fraser Centre, the David Lam Centre Graduate Research Award, the BC Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research Fellowship, the Community Engaged Research Initiative (CERi) Fellowship, and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that specific coping strategies cause higher family quality of life. This is a descriptive study of 12 people, not a controlled trial. The association between active information-seeking and high quality of life may reflect the fact that families with more resources and language skills are better able to seek information, rather than the information-seeking itself improving well-being.