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Factors Mediating Dysphoric Moods and Help Seeking Behaviour Among Australian Parents of Children with Autism

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Abstract

This study compared levels of state affect, dysphoric mood, and parenting sense of competence in Australian parents of children with or without autism. The effects of personality and location on the parents’ experience were also examined, while controlling for current affect. Possible relationships among personality, location factors and help-seeking behavior were also explored in parents of children with autism. Prior findings of higher dysphoric mood levels in parents of children with autism were supported, as was the positive correlation between dysphoric moods and Neuroticism levels. Parenting Sense of Competence did not differ across locations, and there were no parent type by location interactions. Access to services among parents of a child with autism did not moderate dysphoria levels.

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    1. School of Health and Human Sciences, M.G.53, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia

      Matthew Snow & James Donnelly

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    1. Matthew Snow
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    2. James Donnelly
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    Ethical standard

    All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The research project was given ethical clearance on the 18 June 2014 by the Southern Cross University Human Research and Ethics Committee—Approval Number ECN-14-155.

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    Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

    Additional information

    This research has been conducted as the initial stage of the corresponding authors PhD thesis. The presented work is a singular research project conducted to advise future research with the targeted population. The overall research thesis utilises the theory of Participatory Action Research.

    “Participatory action research (PAR) differs from most other approaches to public health research because it is based on reflection, data collection, and action that aims to improve health and reduce health inequities through involving the people who, in turn, take actions to improve their own health.” (Baum et al. 2006, p. 854).

    Matthew Snow and James Donnelly have contributed equally to all aspects of this work.

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    Snow, M., Donnelly, J. Factors Mediating Dysphoric Moods and Help Seeking Behaviour Among Australian Parents of Children with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 46, 1941–1952 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2725-5

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