Abstract
High depression rates for adolescents with autism indicate a need for a comprehensive prevention approach. Parents can promote parent–child factors that buffer adolescents from depression. However, parenting adolescents with autism presents challenges which can diminish parental self-efficacy and mental wellbeing with potential negative sequelae for their adolescents. This proof-of-concept study investigated the value of adding a strength-focused parenting intervention to a depression-prevention intervention for adolescents with autism. A Consensual Qualitative Research framework analysed 15 parents’ intervention experience. Parents reported that feeling isolated and unsupported by existing services motivated their participation, and they valued interacting with other parent participants. They also reported that the program enhanced wellbeing and parenting efficacy, reduced isolation, increased ability to parent calmly, and improved parent-adolescent relationships.
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The authors are grateful to Rachel Aberdeen for transcribing the interviews, and to Kate McLisky for conducting the audit of the CQR process.
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This research is supported by the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) under Grant No. 2.029, awarded to Professor Ian Shochet and Associate Professor Beth Saggers. The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), established and supported under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Project.
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All authors conceived of the study and participated in its design. JO and BD coordinated the study and conducted the recruitment of participants. BD interviewed the participants. JO, BD, AW, and IS participated in the interpretation of the data. JO and IS drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Shochet, I.M., Saggers, B.R., Carrington, S.B. et al. A Strength-Focused Parenting Intervention May Be a Valuable Augmentation to a Depression Prevention Focus for Adolescents with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 49, 2080–2100 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-03893-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-03893-6