Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Intervention in Reducing Stigma Stress Among Parents of Autistic Children

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that usually becomes apparent in early childhood. Those diagnosed with ASD commonly struggle with social communication and behavioral regulation, often facing widespread societal stigma across different cultures. This prejudice extends beyond the affected children to their parents, who are routinely subjected to baseless blame and viewed as incapable of proper parenting. Such persistent negative perceptions can foster profound emotional suffering and chronic stress linked to societal judgment. To date, there are no empirically supported interventions specifically aimed at alleviating stigma-induced stress in parents of autistic children. Nevertheless, studies in related fields indicate that mindfulness-based strategies could offer a potential coping mechanism. Addressing this gap, the current research presents a newly developed 4-week Mindfulness-Based Stigma Stress Reduction (MBSSR) program tailored for these parents. Using a randomized controlled trial, participants were divided into an MBSSR group or a waitlist control group, with both undergoing standardized evaluations at three distinct time points.