Posttraumatic personal growth in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder: approaches and research perspectives

<jats:p>&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="fontstyle0"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Context and relevance&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="fontstyle2"&gt;Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with high emotional strain and chronic stress for the family. Despite substantial difficulties, some mothers demonstrate posttraumatic personal growth (PTG), reflecting positive changes that emerge through meaning-making and cognitive processing of the situation. In the literature, PTG is linked to reappraising the parental role, strengthening inner resilience, and developing new adaptive &lt;/span&gt;strategies&lt;span class="fontstyle2"&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="fontstyle0"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="fontstyle2"&gt;To review current approaches to the study of PTG in mothers of children with ASD and to identify psychological factors that contribute to positive personality transformation. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="fontstyle0"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods and materials&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="fontstyle2"&gt;A literature review was conducted using open electronic resources (eLIBRARY, PsyJournals, and PubMed) and the following keywords: posttraumatic growth (PTG), mothers, autism, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both contemporary empirical studies and works providing the theoretical foundations for PTG research were included. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="fontstyle0"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="fontstyle2"&gt;PTG in mothers of children with ASD appears to be a complex adaptive and meaning-related process that combines cognitive acceptance of the child&amp;rsquo;s diagnosis, perceived social support, the development of selfreflection, and inner agency. These conditions contribute to the reassessment of life priorities, the emergence of new interaction patterns, and strengthened resilience. Constructive coping strategies, supportive relationships, and active involvement in the child&amp;rsquo;s support and intervention are associated with higher PTG levels. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="fontstyle0"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="fontstyle2"&gt;Social support, cognitive processing, and acceptance of the child&amp;rsquo;s diagnosis are important for the development of PTG. Future research should further explore the associations between PTG, life-meaning orientations, and psychological wellbeing in mothers of children with ASD. The present review may serve as a basis for identifying additional promising directions for PTG research.&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</jats:p>