Towards a multi-level family resilience promotion framework: a meta-analysis of factors associated with family resilience in families of autistic children.

Authors

Dinghua Jia, Changwu Zuo, Fengyang Xu, Xiaoyu Zhuang

Published in

BMC psychology. Jul 16, 2026. Epub Jul 16, 2026.

Abstract

Families raising autistic children usually experience daily difficulties, such as accommodating their children's unique communication patterns and behavioral expressions. Despite these potential challenges, families can demonstrate resilience by showing effective family functioning. However, research on the factors that may influence family resilience in this population remains limited. This meta-analysis aims to identify and synthesize the risk and protective factors associated with family resilience among families with autistic children.
We conducted a systematic review of studies based on six online English databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and Scopus) and two Chinese databases (CNKI and Wanfang). Combined Pearson correlations were calculated by using the random effects model. A moderator analysis was conducted to explore the impact of moderators such as the study region and study quality. The risk of bias and publication bias were also evaluated.
Forty-one studies were examined, where 15 risk and protective factors were identified. Among the 15 factors, 12 are intrapersonal factors (e.g., parental self-efficacy, parental stress, etc.), and 3 are interpersonal factors (social support, family cohesion, and family quality of life).
Our findings indicate that the strongest correlations with family resilience were observed among interpersonal factors. In addition, we identified a number of salient (e.g., family cohesion) and contextually unique (e.g., uncertainty about autism) risk and protective factors for family resilience. Building on this, we propose a multi-level family resilience conceptual framework that can inform targeted interventions for families raising autistic children.
This study was registered with PROSPERO (No: CRD42024595923).

PMID:
42464423
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 17 Jul 2026.

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