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.