Emotional Reactivity as a Mediator and Moderator of the Relationship Between Psychological Flexibility and Parental Burnout in Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

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Koc R., Akbulut O. F.

JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2026
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s10803-026-07223-5
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, BIOSIS, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), EMBASE, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index
  • Istanbul University Affiliated: No

Abstract

PurposeParenting a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often entails ongoing emotional challenges that can contribute to parental burnout. This study aimed to investigate the mediating and moderating roles of emotional reactivity in the relationship between psychological flexibility and parental burnout among parents of children diagnosed with ASD.MethodsA total of 230 parents (74.8% female; Mage = 40.14, SD = 8.27) participated in the study. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling from special educational centers. Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS to test indirect and conditional effects of emotional reactivity.ResultsEmotional reactivity partially mediated the association between psychological inflexibility and parental burnout. Higher psychological inflexibility was linked to greater emotional reactivity, which in turn predicted higher parental burnout. Moreover, emotional reactivity significantly moderated this relationship (Delta R-2 = 0.009, p = .025), indicating that the association between psychological inflexibility and parental burnout was stronger among parents with higher emotional reactivity.ConclusionThese findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing psychological inflexibility and managing emotional reactivity may help mitigate parental burnout among parents of children with ASD.