In God we trust? Organised religion and personal beliefs as resources and coping strategies, and their implications for health in parents with a child on the autistic spectrum

Abstract

This paper is part of a larger study looking at the impact on 60 families of having a child with autistic spectrum disorder. Here the roles played by organised reliagion and personal belief and their relationship with health status are explored. The DSM-IV, and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, were used to confirm diagnosis and measure the severity of autism. A questionnaire was used to investigate support from organised religion and personal beliefs. The General Health Questionnaire was used to assess health. Participants reported receiving significantly less support from their organised religion than from their personal belief. Higher scores on support from personal belief, particularly the use of prayer, were associated with better health.