Year: 2017
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The present study examined parenting stress, anxiety and depression among Icelandic parents of children with autism. In addition, the study examined if having a child with behavior problems and feelings of constraints when talking about the child would be associated with higher parenting stress, anxiety and depression levels. Parents (N=187) of children, 12 years or younger, with autism spectrum disorder completed an online questionnaire. The majority of participants were females (82.9%) and married (56.2%). The findings indicated that parenting stress was high with 79% of parents reporting stress levels within the clinical range. Although the majority of parents reported anxiety and depression within the normal range, 15% and 20% reported severe or extremely severe anxiety and depression respectively. Multiple regression analyses showed that having a child with behavior problems and feelings of constraints when talking about the child to spouse or family and friends was associated with higher levels of parental stress, anxiety, and depression. The results indicate the need to provide parents of children with autism with training and support to manage their child’s behavior problems, access to an intervention to reduce their stress, anxiety and depression levels and help them to talk about their child with autism. \n \nKeywords: autism spectrum disorder, parenting stress, anxiety, depression, behavior problems, social constraints.
Source: Skemman
Author: Ásta Sigurðardóttir 1983
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7043545292