Explaining the Causal Relationships Between Personality Traits and Psychological Well-Being in Mothers of Children with Autism: The Mediating Role of Ambivalence in Emotional Expression

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to explain the causal relationships between personality traits and psychological well-being in mothers of children with autism, with a focus on the mediating role of ambivalence in emotional expression. 
Methods and Materials: This study employed a descriptive-correlational design, and structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. The statistical population included all mothers of children with autism in special education schools and rehabilitation centers in Tehran during the 2021-2022 academic year. From this population, 300 individuals were selected using convenience sampling and responded to the Ambivalence Over Emotional Expression Questionnaire (Amon & King, 1990), the NEO Personality Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1985), and the Psychological Well-Being Scale (Ryff, 1989). The collected data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and AMOS 24 software. 
Findings: The results of the structural equations indicated that all goodness-of-fit indices confirmed an acceptable fit between the structural model and the collected data. Among personality traits, conscientiousness and extraversion positively and significantly predicted psychological well-being in mothers of children with autism, while neuroticism negatively and significantly predicted psychological well-being. Additionally, ambivalence in emotional expression negatively and significantly predicted psychological well-being in these mothers (p = .001). Furthermore, ambivalence in emotional expression significantly mediated the relationship between personality traits and psychological well-being in mothers of children with autism (p = .001). 
Conclusion: The findings of this study can be beneficial for counselors, psychologists, and professionals in the field of autism.