Xing-Kai Li

The positive predictive effect of children’s problem behaviors on parenting stress has been verified to some extent, but research on parents of children with special needs remains insufficient. Moreover, the role of parental personality traits in the relationship between children’s problem behaviors and parenting stress, and whether it differs from before the COVID-19 pandemic, remains unclear. Accordingly, in this study, online questionnaires were used to survey parents of children with autism and intellectual disabilities in China – 337 parents before and 604 during the COVID-19 pandemic – to explore the relationship between problem behaviors in the children and parenting stress as well as the moderating effect of parents’ personality. The results showed that problem behaviors of children with autism and intellectual disabilities had a positive predictive effect on parenting stress. However, there was no significant difference in this effect before and during the pandemic. In addition, the relationship between children’s problem behaviors and parenting stress was moderated by the Agreeableness and Neuroticism of the parents, but only during COVID-19 pandemic. The research results suggest that, during the pandemic when facing problem behaviors of children with autism or intellectual disabilities, positive personality characteristics such as Agreeableness have a protective effect on parenting stress. By contrast, negative personality characteristics such as Neuroticism are risk factors. The study results provide evidence from special groups regarding the role of parents’ personalities in the parent – child interaction and the parenting stress models.

This study constructed a moderated mediation model based on problem behavior theory to explore the psychological mechanism of family functioning interaction with pathological internet use. We used the Adolescent Pathological Internet Use Scale, General Functioning Scale, Trait Hope Scale, and Social Withdrawal Scale to measure internet use in 1223 middle school students. The results showed that (1) pathological internet use was negatively correlated with family functioning and hope, and positively correlated with social withdrawal; family functioning was positively correlated with hope, and negatively correlated with social withdrawal; hope was negatively correlated with social withdrawal; (2) family functioning could not only directly predict pathological internet use, but also indirectly predict pathological internet use through hope; and (3) the mediating effect of family functioning on pathological internet use was moderated by social withdrawal, which was stronger for individuals with low social withdrawal but not significant for individuals with high social withdrawal. This study revealed the internal mechanism of the relation between family functioning and adolescents’ pathological internet use, which has theoretical significance for improving adolescents’ hope and reducing their pathological internet use.

We assessed the mental health of parents (N = 1450, M_age = 40.76) of special needs children during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted an online survey comprising items on demographic data; two self-designed questionnaires (children’s behavioral problems/psychological demand of parents during COVID-19); and four standardized questionnaires, including the General Health Questionnaire, Perceived Social Support, Parenting Stress Index, and Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five Factor Inventory. The results showed that there were significant differences among parents of children with different challenges. Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder were more likely to have mental health problems compared to parents whose children had an intellectual disability or a visual or hearing impairment. Behavioral problems of children and psychological demands of parents were common factors predicting the mental health of all parents. Parent–child dysfunctional interactions and parenting distress were associated with parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Family support, having a difficult child, and parenting distress were associated with having children with an intellectual disability. It is necessary to pay attention to the parents’ mental health, provide more social and family support, and reduce parenting pressures.