Fatigue, stress and coping in mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder.
Mom fatigue—not poor coping—explains why child behavior problems spike maternal stress, so treat tiredness first.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Seymour et al. (2013) asked moms of preschoolers with autism to fill out surveys. The team wanted to know why child behavior problems crank up mom stress. They tested two possible bridges: feeling worn out (fatigue) and poor coping tricks.
What they found
Only fatigue carried the load. When kids showed more problem behaviors, moms felt more tired, and that tiredness turned into higher stress. Surprisingly, bad coping skills did not add extra punch.
How this fits with other research
Lee et al. (2023) extends the story. They tracked moms day-by-day and found one bad night of sleep predicted next-day fatigue and more yelling at kids. Poor sleep feeds the same fatigue Monique spotted.
Lovell et al. (2021) broaden the path. They showed caregiver sleep trouble links to real body problems like headaches and high blood pressure. Fatigue is no longer just "in the head"; it hits physical health.
Wang et al. (2025) seem to clash. Their daily diaries say positive coping lifts mom mood the same day and the next. Monique said coping does not matter. The gap is method: Monique looked at steady traits, Hui caught quick daily boosts. Quick coping tricks can help, but long-term fatigue still drives the main stress engine.
Why it matters
You now know tired moms feel more stress, even if they own great coping tools. Add fatigue screens to every parent intake. Ask about sleep, offer nap or bedtime plans, and link to respite or night nursing. A rested parent has more gas for therapy carry-over and melts down less.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be exhausting, which has the potential to impact on parental health and wellbeing. The current study investigated the influence of maternal fatigue and coping on the relationship between children's problematic behaviours and maternal stress for 65 mothers of young children (aged 2-5 years) with ASDs. Results showed that maternal fatigue but not maladaptive coping mediated the relationship between problematic child behaviours and maternal stress. These findings suggest child behaviour difficulties may contribute to parental fatigue, which in turn may influence use of ineffective coping strategies and increased stress. The significance of fatigue on maternal wellbeing was highlighted as an important area for consideration in families of children with an ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2013 · doi:10.1007/s10803-012-1701-y