Stress and psychological wellbeing among parents of autistic children

This study examines the relationship between parenting stress and psychological wellbeing among parents of autistic children, with a specific focus on gender differences. A quantitative correlational design was employed with a sample of 59 parents (32 females, 27 males) of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Data were collected using the Parenting Stress Scale (Berry & Jones, 1995) [2] and the Psychological Well-Being Scale (Ryff & Keyes, 1995) [10]. Results from Pearson correlation analysis revealed no significant relationship between parenting stress and psychological wellbeing (*r* = .087, *p* = .511), indicating these constructs operate independently within this population. Independent samples t-tests showed no significant gender difference in parenting stress scores (*t*(57) = 0.207, *p* = .837). However, a significant gender difference was found in psychological wellbeing (*t*(57) = 3.866, *p*