Guilt and maternal depression among married and single mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder: moderation analysis

Objectives: The present study examined the associations between raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), guilt, and depression in single and married mothers. Raising children with ASD presents unique challenges for parents, especially mothers, who often experience heightened levels of depression. For single mothers, raising a child with ASD may result in additional demands, but for married mothers it may result in more tension and marital conflict. We explored the role of interpersonal guilt in explaining maternal depression of single and married mothers raising a typically developing (TD) child with ASD as compared to mothers raising a TD (Typically developing) child. Methods: The study included 85 mothers (54 married, 31 single) of 3–18 years old children (28 diagnosed with ASD and 57 TD children), who completed measures of depression (DASS-21) and interpersonal guilt (a subscale of Loneliness in Intimate Relationships Scale). Multivariate regression was conducted to test the main effects of child diagnosis, maternal marital status and maternal interpersonal guilt on maternal depression. A moderated moderation model was tested, examining how interpersonal guilt and marital status influence maternal depression in mothers of children with ASD compared to mothers of typically developing children. Results: Our results indicated higher levels of depression and interpersonal guilt for both single and married mothers of children with ASD than among mothers of TD children. Depression levels were correlated to higher levels of interpersonal guilt. Although Maternal depression was significantly higher for mothers of children with ASD it was not explained by marital status alone. However, the presence of interpersonal guilt significantly exacerbated depression for married mothers of children with ASD, but not for single mothers, highlighting the importance of blameless and emotional support in marital relationships. Conclusions: This study underscores the need for targeted interventions that address emotional distress and guilt among mothers raising children with ASD, and describes the interpersonal guilt affecting married and single mothers raising children with ASD.