Demographic Differences in Dyadic Coping-Based Gratitude and Emotion Regulation among Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

The current study examined the differences between moms of children with ASD. in two coping methods based on their educational level and financial status: dyadic coping-based gratitude and pre-intervention emotional regulation. Demographic groups were compared using one-way between-subjects ANOVAs for partner-focused appreciation, self-focused gratitude, cognitive emotion regulation, and expressive emotion regulation. Pre-intervention cognitive and expressive emotion control scores were significantly linked with educational attainment, with scores increasing from education levels. There was no significant correlation between education and appreciation that was self-focused or partner-focused. Financial status was strongly associated with both cognitive and expressive emotion control, with moms with higher incomes scoring higher and those with lower incomes rating worse. There were financial differences in partner-focused thankfulness, with middle-class moms outperforming low-income mothers, but there was no clear difference in self-focused gratitude. The results usually indicate a significant socioeconomic gradient for baseline emotion regulation and relatively less socioeconomic patterning for dyadic coping-based gratitude, depending on financial conditions.