Self-compassion, mental health, and parenting: Comparing parents of autistic and non-autistic children

Parenting stress experienced by parents of autistic children is well-documented. Recent evidence suggests that self-compassion may be a protective factor against parenting stress. However, it’s not clear how self-compassion contributes to better parenting outcomes. This study examined the associations among self-compassion, mental health (ill-being and well-being indicators), and parenting experience (parenting stress and parenting competence) in 178 parents of autistic children and 178 parents of non-autistic children. Results indicated that parents of autistic children had lower levels of self-compassion compared to parents of non-autistic children. In both groups of parents, self-compassion was linked to lower levels of ill-being and high levels of well-being, and directly related to higher levels of parenting competence. In parents of non-autistic children, both ill-being and well-being acted as mediators in the relationships between self-compassion and parenting outcomes. However, in parents of autistic children, only well-being (but not ill-being) mediated the relationships between self-compassion and parenting outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of promoting self-compassion and well-being to enhance parenting experiences for parents of autistic children. Lay abstract Parenting can be challenging for any parent, particularly for those parenting autistic children. Research has shown that being kind, accepting, and mindful toward oneself during suffering, a concept known as self-compassion, can help enhance mental health. However, it is not fully understood how self-compassion benefits parenting experiences for parents of autistic children. Therefore, we conducted a study involving 178 parents of autistic children and 178 of autistic children to explore the associations between self-compassion, mental health, and parenting experiences. We found that parents of autistic children reported less self-compassion compared to parents of non-autistic children. For both groups of parents, self-compassion was linked to lower levels of ill-being and parenting stress, as well as higher levels of well-being and parenting competence. In parents of non-autistic children, both ill-being and well-being played a mediating role in the relationship between self-compassion and parenting experiences. However, in parents of autistic children, only well-being was found to mediate this relationship. These findings emphasize the importance of self-compassion and well-being in improving parenting experiences for parents of autistic children.