The DOI matches its Crossref record; 4 of the 4 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Ambiguous Loss in Families of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders*
Abstract
Abstract: Learning that a child has a lifelong developmental disorder is stressful and challenging to any family, yet it is clear that some families adapt and adjust more readily than others. In this article, it is proposed that a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is especially likely to be experienced as ambiguous loss. Interviews with mothers of children with ASDs are used to identify whether mothers express feelings of ambiguous loss when talking about their child. Then, a specific hypothesis derived from ambiguous loss theory—that higher levels of identity ambiguity in mothers are linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms and perceived stress independent of the severity of the child’s diagnosis—is tested and found to be supported. Recognition of ambiguous loss in families of children with ASDs would help professionals provide more effective support and assistance to families.
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In the citing paper
“O'Brien et al. propose that, regardless of a child's diagnosis, symptoms of grief tend to persist longer and manifest more intensely when mothers experience greater uncertainty about their own identities (O'Brien, 2007).”
From "I don't grieve as much as I used to": A qualitative study on parents of children with rare and undiagnosed conditions navigating grief in the context of uncertainty. (2025) · cites this paper as O'Brien, 2007
In the citing paper
“This aligns with findings from other literature which describe ambiguous loss as a key aspect of parental grief in the context of some rare and undiagnosed conditions (Kurtzer‐White & Luterman, 2003; O'Brien, 2007).”
From "I don't grieve as much as I used to": A qualitative study on parents of children with rare and undiagnosed conditions navigating grief in the context of uncertainty. (2025) · cites this paper as O'Brien, 2007
Citations
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Cited by
Cridland, E. K., Jones, S. C., Caputi, P., & Magee, C. A. (2014) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1985-6 · Cited by 230
High-Functioning Autism and Asperger’s Disorder: Utility and Meaning for Families
Ruiz Calzada, L., Pistrang, N., & Mandy, W. P. L. (2012) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1238-5 · Cited by 100
Hoffmann, T. M., Friedrich, B., & Lewis, C. (2025) · Journal of Genetic Counseling · doi:10.1002/jgc4.70149 · Cited by 3
Metadata
- Authors
- O’Brien, M.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro (US)
- Corresponding author
- O’Brien, Marion
- Venue
- Family Relations
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2007-03-22
- Volume
- 56
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 135-146
- ISSN
- 0197-6664 (ISSN-L)
- 1741-3729
- OpenAlex
- W2133652908
- Cited by
- 130
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 5.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Family Relations (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family and Disability Support Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Keywords
- ambiguous loss, autism spectrum disorder, mothers, identity ambiguity, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, family adjustment, parental stress
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- CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Ambiguous Loss in Families of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders*. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2007.00447.x
- The paper
- O’Brien, M. (2007). Ambiguous Loss in Families of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders*. Family Relations. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2007.00447.x
Data sources
Bibliographic data: Semantic Scholar, OpenAlex, Crossref.
Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).
Semantic Scholar’s data is described in: Kinney, R., et al. (2023). The Semantic Scholar Open Data Platform. arXiv:2301.10140.
