Psychological Hardiness as a Predictive Factor of Resilience among Caregivers of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability

Description

Page: 73-78

Kavisha Shah and Kamayani Mathur (Department of Psychology, School of Psychology, Philosophy & Education, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat)

Caregivers of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID) face unique and significant challenges, often resulting in heightened stress and emotional burden. Psychological Hardiness, characterized by commitment, control, and the perception of challenges as opportunities, and Resilience, defined as the ability to adapt to adversity through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility, are critical psychological constructs that influence coping mechanisms in this population. This study examines the predictive relationship between Psychological Hardiness and Resilience among caregivers of individuals diagnosed with ASD and ID. Using a purposive sampling approach, data were collected from 70 caregivers recruited from clinics and hospitals in Ahmedabad City. Psychological Hardiness was measured using the Psychological Hardiness Scale (PHSSA) (Singh, 2022) while Resilience was assessed using The Resilience Scale (Grover, 2021). Results indicated a strong positive correlation between Psychological Hardiness and Resilience (r = 0.85, p < 0.01). Simple linear regression analysis demonstrated that Psychological Hardiness significantly predicts Resilience, accounting for 73% of the variance (R² = 0.73).