Effect of Parenting Self-Efficacy Skills Training and Psychological Hardiness on Subjective Vitality of Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The aim of this study was to investigate the parenting effectiveness of training self-efficacy skills and psychological hardiness on the subjective vitality of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Tehran. The current research was applied and aims to use a field experimental design (pre-test - post-test with the control group). The statistical population includes all mothers of children with ASD in Tehran in 2020 referred to private and government rehabilitation centers to receive services. Out of the statistical population, 30 mothers of children aged 7 to 18 with ASD were selected by cluster sampling. Then, they were randomly classified into two groups: Case (15 mothers) and control (15 mothers). The subjective vitality scale questionnaire of Ryan and Frederick (1997) standard protocols of teaching Saunder’s parenting self-efficacy skills (2003), and Bailing protocol psychological hardiness in cognitive -behavioral way (2009) were used in the  research. The case group was trained for 8 sessions of 90 minutes per week in connection with these protocols. Analysis of statistical data using covariance showed that the training has a positive effect on increasing the subjective vitality of mothers (P<0/05). Based on the data obtained from the post-test, the participants of the case group had higher subjective vitality rather than the control group.