Family hardiness is an important construct to understand coping in parents of individuals
with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), who are often at risk for considerable distress in
the face of multiple stressors. The current study examined family hardiness, perceived
social support and parent self-efficacy as predictors of family distress in 138 mothers of
individuals with ASD, 4–41 years of age. Using a multiple mediation analysis, we
demonstrated that perceived self-efficacy and social support mediated the link between
the pile-up of stressors and family hardiness, and that hardiness was a partial mediator in
explaining how stressors were associated with family distress. Researchers and clinicians
should consider the role that perceived social support and parent self-efficacy play in
explaining family hardiness, and how the perception of such hardiness is associated with
less distress.