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Stress, Anxiety and Depression Among Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2016

Vicki Bitsika  and
Christopher F. Sharpley
Vicki Bitsika*
Affiliation:
Bond University, Australia
Christopher F. Sharpley
Affiliation:
Bond University, Australia
*
Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, Bond University, PO Box 378, Coolangatta, Qld 4225, Australia. E-mail: vbitsika@staff.bond.edu.au
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Abstract

In a replication of a previous study of the incidence and contributing factors in anxiety, depression and stress in Victorian parents of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a sample of 107 Gold Coast parents completed a questionnaire that assessed their demographic backgrounds, anxiety and depression scores on standardised inventories, and also tapped several aspects of those factors that may have contributed to their wellbeing. Over 90% of parents reported that they were sometimes unable to deal effectively with their child's behaviour. Nearly half of the participants were severely anxious and nearly two thirds were clinically depressed. Factors that emerged as significant in differentiating between parents with high versus low levels of anxiety and depression included access to family support, parents' estimation of family caregivers' expertise in dealing with the behavioural difficulties of a child with ASD, and parental health. Parents' suggestions for personal support services are reported, and some comparisons across the data from the two states are made, with suggestions for further research into parent support mechanisms.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , December 2004 , pp. 151 - 161
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

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