The Association Between Coping Strategies and Psychological and Emotional Distress Among Health Care Providers Caring for Autistic Children in Jordan

Background: Health care providers (HCPs) caring for autistic children report more perceived psychological and emotional distress related to their job. However, not much is known about what can be done to mitigate such distress, especially in countries with limited mental health resources, such as Jordan. Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between coping strategies (problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidant) and perceived emotional and psychological distress among HCPs of autistic children in Jordan. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of 180 HCPs working with autistic children in Jordan were recruited through autism centers and social media using an online self-administered questionnaire. Results: The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that 31% of the variability in perceived emotional distress was explained by its significant association with problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, and avoidant coping. Likewise, 39% of the variability in perceived psychological distress was explained by its significant association with gender, having an immediate family, area of specialty, problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, and avoidant coping. Conclusions: The study shows that problem-focused coping significantly decreases perceived emotional distress, whereas emotion-focused and avoidant coping significantly increase perceived emotional distress. Avoidant coping significantly increases perceived psychological distress. Understanding the association between coping strategies and perceived emotional and psychological distress among HCPs can assist mental health nurses in identifying at-risk providers and providing timely emotional and psychological support.