Affiliate Stigma and Its Predictors in Parents of Children With Autism in the Early Post-diagnosis Phase.

Background: Affiliated stigma refers to internalized stigma among family members of stigmatized individuals. Affiliate stigma experienced by parents of children with autism plays a vital role in both the child's rehabilitation and the parents' well-being, whereas the affiliate stigma and its possible predictors need to be further examined.

Objective: The study aims to describe the characteristics of affiliate stigma experienced by parents of children with autism in the early post-diagnosis period and to explore its predictors.

Methods: The study was conducted from September 2020 to March 2022 in Guangzhou, China. Participants included 116 parents of children newly diagnosed with autism who completed baseline self-report measures of affiliate stigma (Affiliate Stigma Scale [ASS]), coping style (Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire [SCSQ]) and social support (Social Support Rating Scale [SSRS]) at the initial diagnosis (T1) and 1-year follow-up (T2). Autism features were assessed by parents using the Autism Behavior Checklist at T1. Generalized estimating equations were used to identify the key predictors of affiliate stigma.

Results: Scores for parental affiliate stigma were 43.4 ± 13.7 at the initial diagnosis and 44.7 ± 15.9 one year later. Parents of children with siblings or co-occurring conditions experienced higher levels of affiliate stigma, and negative coping styles and lower levels of subjective support predicted higher affiliate stigma during the first year after autism diagnosis.

Conclusions: Parents experienced moderate and stable affiliate stigma during the first year after their children's autism diagnosis, especially those with children who have siblings or co-occurring conditions and thus need additional support. Interventions should be focused on reducing negative coping and providing more subjective social support.