“…In turn, the poor health of mothers of children with ASD affects both the development of these children and balance within the family system ( Karst and Van Hecke, 2012 ). Many studies have suggested the importance of social support to the physical and mental health of mothers of children with ASD ( Lu et al, 2015 ; Xavier and Wesley, 2018 ; Zhao et al, 2021 ); such perceived social support helps alleviate their stress, anxiety, depression, and other negative psychological conditions ( Chen S. D. et al, 2021 ; Koukouriki et al, 2021 ; Scheerer et al, 2021 ) and facilitates the enhancement of their parenting competence and the improvement of their wellbeing ( Iadarola et al, 2017 ; Green et al, 2021 ; Khusaifan and El Keshky, 2021 ). Meanwhile, the less social support felt by mothers of children with ASD, the more they suffer from psychological problems such as anxiety and depression ( Smith et al, 2011 ; Huang et al, 2019 ; Bujnowska et al, 2021 ).…”