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Social Anxiety in Parents of High-Functioning Children with Autism and Asperger Syndrome

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Abstract

We evaluated social anxiety (SA) symptoms in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs; N = 131) and community parents (N = 597) using the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI). SA was significantly more common in ASD than control mothers (15.6 vs. 6.7 %) and more equal between the ASD and control fathers (3.3 vs. 4.8 %). The ASD mothers scored significantly higher than control mothers on all SPAI scales. ASD fathers scored significantly higher than control fathers on the somatic, cognitive, avoidance and agoraphobic symptoms of SA. It is of clinical import to support ASD parents’ well-being as their psychiatric features may contribute greatly to their children’s emotional development and the well-being of the whole family.

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Acknowledgments

The research was supported by The Alma and K. A. Snellman Foundation, Oulu, Finland (PI: S. Kuusikko-Gauffin, M-L. Mattila); Rinnekoti Säätiö, Finland (PI: M-L. Mattila), Child Psychiatric Research Foundation, Finland (PI: S. Kuusikko-Gauffin, M-L. Mattila), Emil Aaltonen Foundation, Finland (PI: H. Ebeling, S. Kuusikko-Gauffin); National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR; PI: D. Pauls). We want to thank the participants of the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University and University Hospital of Oulu, P.O.B. 26, 90029, Oulu, Finland

    Sanna Kuusikko-Gauffin, Marja-Leena Mattila, Katja Jussila, Hanna Ebeling & Irma Moilanen

  2. Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Rachel Pollock-Wurman & David Pauls

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  1. Sanna Kuusikko-Gauffin
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  2. Rachel Pollock-Wurman
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  3. Marja-Leena Mattila
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Correspondence to Sanna Kuusikko-Gauffin.

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Kuusikko-Gauffin, S., Pollock-Wurman, R., Mattila, ML. et al. Social Anxiety in Parents of High-Functioning Children with Autism and Asperger Syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 521–529 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1581-1

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