Relación entre empatía y altruismo en madres de niños con trastorno del espectro autista y discapacidad intelectual

The objective of the current research study was to investigate the relationship between empathy and self- compassion and altruism in mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Method: by convenience sampling, 161 participants were selected. The short form self-compassion, empathy and altruism inventories were implemented. Results: The Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis revealed that there was a direct relationship between empath, self-compassion and altruism. Conclusion: Empathy is a complex capability which enables individuals to understand the emotional states of others, and results in compassionate behaviour. Empathy requires cognitive, emotional, behavioural, and moral capacities to understand and respond to others' suffering. Compassion is a proper response to the perception of others’ suffering. In addition, compassion cannot exist without empathy; they are part of the same perception and response continuum which moves human beings from observation to action. It seems that maternal care, together with the hope that a child with intellectual and developmental disabilities lives independently, provides the necessary grounds for empathy, self-compassion and altruism.El objetivo del presente estudio de investigación fue investigar la relación entre empatía, autocompasión y altruismo en madres de niños con Trastorno del Espectro Autista y discapacidad intelectual. Método: se seleccionaron 161 participantes por muestreo de conveniencia. Se implementaron los inventarios de autocompasión, empatía y altruismo de formato abreviado. Resultados: El coeficiente de correlación de Pearson y el análisis de regresión múltiple revelaron que existe una relación directa entre empatía, autocompasión y altruismo. Conclusión: la empatía es una capacidad compleja que permite a las personas comprender los estados emocionales de los demás y da como resultado un comportamiento compasivo. La empatía requiere capacidades cognitivas, emocionales, conductuales y morales para comprender y responder al sufrimiento de los demás. La compasión es una respuesta adecuada a la percepción del sufrimiento de los demás. Además, la compasión no puede existir sin empatía; son parte del mismo continuo de respuesta y percepción el cual permite a los seres humanos pasar de la observación a la acción. Parece que el cuidado materno, junto con la esperanza de que un niño con discapacidad intelectual viva de forma independiente, proporciona las bases necesarias para la empatía, la autocompasión y el altruismo

Maternal acceptance–rejection, self-compassion and empathy in mothers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Objective: This study aimed to determine the link between Parental Acceptance-Rejection (PAR) and empathy and self-compassion in mothers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). Method: The sample consists of 161 mothers who received pre-school education with children diagnosed with IDDs in Iran. The parental acceptance-rejection questionnaire, empathy questionnaire, and self-compassion scale were used as the data collection instruments, which have been analyzed through canonical correlation test. Results: There is a positive correlation between children's self-empathy and self-compassion and the PAR, and there is no significant relationship between mother's affection levels and empathy levels, but there is a significant negative relationship between mother's affection levels and child's self-compassion levels. Conclusion: when the PAR level increases, self-compassion level decreases. It provides support to predict a significant relationship between the mothers’ acceptance-rejection variables who have an IDD child and empathy and self-compassion