Examining indicators of psychosocial risk and resilience in parents of autistic children
BackgroundParents of autistic children experience increased levels of caregiver strain and adverse mental health outcomes, even in comparison to parents of children with other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Previous studies have largely attributed these increased levels of mental health concerns t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1102516/full |
| _version_ | 1797826641228988416 |
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| author | Amanda Dimachkie Nunnally Reina S. Factor Alexandra Sturm Latha Valluripalli Soorya Allison Wainer Sandra Taylor Matthew Ponzini Leonard Abbeduto Amanda C. Gulsrud |
| author_facet | Amanda Dimachkie Nunnally Reina S. Factor Alexandra Sturm Latha Valluripalli Soorya Allison Wainer Sandra Taylor Matthew Ponzini Leonard Abbeduto Amanda C. Gulsrud |
| author_sort | Amanda Dimachkie Nunnally |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundParents of autistic children experience increased levels of caregiver strain and adverse mental health outcomes, even in comparison to parents of children with other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Previous studies have largely attributed these increased levels of mental health concerns to their child behavioral concerns and autism symptomatology, but less attention has been given to other potential child factors, such as child adaptive functioning. Additionally, little is known about potential protective factors, such as parents’ emotion regulation (ER) abilities, that may ameliorate the experience of caregiver strain, anxiety, and depression.ObjectiveThe current study examined the impact of child characteristics (restricted and repetitive behaviors, adaptive functioning and behavioral concerns) on parent mental health outcomes (caregiver strain, anxiety, depression and wellbeing). Additionally, we explore parents’ ER abilities as a moderator of the impact of child characteristic on parents’ mental health outcomes.ResultsResults of linear mixed effect models indicated a significant relationship between parents’ ER abilities and all four parent outcomes. Additionally, children’s adaptive functioning abilities and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) were significant predictors of caregiving strain. Parents’ ER abilities were a significant moderator of the effect of children’s repetitive behaviors and adaptive functioning challenges on caregiver strain, such that better ER abilities mitigated the impact of child clinical factors on caregiver strain. Finally, a significant difference was detected for mothers’ and fathers’ mental health, with mothers reporting higher caregiver strain, and more symptoms of anxiety and depression than did fathers.ConclusionThis study leveraged a large sample of autistic children and their biological parents to examine the relationship between children’s clinical characteristics and parents’ psychological wellbeing. Results indicate that, although parents of autistic children do experience high rates of internalizing mental health concerns that relate to child adaptive functioning and RRBs, parent ER abilities act as a protective factor against parents’ adverse mental health outcomes. Further, mothers in our sample reported significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and caregiver strain, as compared with fathers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T12:35:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b0f12a209e7f46ec86f50635cc19ebe0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T12:35:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-b0f12a209e7f46ec86f50635cc19ebe02023-05-15T15:20:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532023-05-011710.3389/fnbeh.2023.11025161102516Examining indicators of psychosocial risk and resilience in parents of autistic childrenAmanda Dimachkie Nunnally0Reina S. Factor1Alexandra Sturm2Latha Valluripalli Soorya3Allison Wainer4Sandra Taylor5Matthew Ponzini6Leonard Abbeduto7Amanda C. Gulsrud8Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United StatesSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesDepartment of Psychological Science, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United StatesDepartment of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United StatesDepartment of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United StatesSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesBackgroundParents of autistic children experience increased levels of caregiver strain and adverse mental health outcomes, even in comparison to parents of children with other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Previous studies have largely attributed these increased levels of mental health concerns to their child behavioral concerns and autism symptomatology, but less attention has been given to other potential child factors, such as child adaptive functioning. Additionally, little is known about potential protective factors, such as parents’ emotion regulation (ER) abilities, that may ameliorate the experience of caregiver strain, anxiety, and depression.ObjectiveThe current study examined the impact of child characteristics (restricted and repetitive behaviors, adaptive functioning and behavioral concerns) on parent mental health outcomes (caregiver strain, anxiety, depression and wellbeing). Additionally, we explore parents’ ER abilities as a moderator of the impact of child characteristic on parents’ mental health outcomes.ResultsResults of linear mixed effect models indicated a significant relationship between parents’ ER abilities and all four parent outcomes. Additionally, children’s adaptive functioning abilities and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) were significant predictors of caregiving strain. Parents’ ER abilities were a significant moderator of the effect of children’s repetitive behaviors and adaptive functioning challenges on caregiver strain, such that better ER abilities mitigated the impact of child clinical factors on caregiver strain. Finally, a significant difference was detected for mothers’ and fathers’ mental health, with mothers reporting higher caregiver strain, and more symptoms of anxiety and depression than did fathers.ConclusionThis study leveraged a large sample of autistic children and their biological parents to examine the relationship between children’s clinical characteristics and parents’ psychological wellbeing. Results indicate that, although parents of autistic children do experience high rates of internalizing mental health concerns that relate to child adaptive functioning and RRBs, parent ER abilities act as a protective factor against parents’ adverse mental health outcomes. Further, mothers in our sample reported significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and caregiver strain, as compared with fathers.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1102516/fullautism spectrum disorderparentingriskresilienceemotion regulation |
| spellingShingle | Amanda Dimachkie Nunnally Reina S. Factor Alexandra Sturm Latha Valluripalli Soorya Allison Wainer Sandra Taylor Matthew Ponzini Leonard Abbeduto Amanda C. Gulsrud Examining indicators of psychosocial risk and resilience in parents of autistic children Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience autism spectrum disorder parenting risk resilience emotion regulation |
| title | Examining indicators of psychosocial risk and resilience in parents of autistic children |
| title_full | Examining indicators of psychosocial risk and resilience in parents of autistic children |
| title_fullStr | Examining indicators of psychosocial risk and resilience in parents of autistic children |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining indicators of psychosocial risk and resilience in parents of autistic children |
| title_short | Examining indicators of psychosocial risk and resilience in parents of autistic children |
| title_sort | examining indicators of psychosocial risk and resilience in parents of autistic children |
| topic | autism spectrum disorder parenting risk resilience emotion regulation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1102516/full |
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