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Parenting stress and affective symptoms in parents of autistic children

Science China Life Sciences volume 58, pages 1036–1043 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

We examined parenting stress and mental health status in parents of autistic children and assessed factors associated with such stress. Participants were parents of 188 autistic children diagnosed with DSM-IV criteria and parents of 144 normally developing children. Parents of autistic children reported higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety than parents of normally developing children. Mothers of autistic children had a higher risk of depression and anxiety than that did parents of normally developing children. Mothers compared to fathers of autistic children were more vulnerable to depression. Age, behavior problems of autistic children, and mothers’ anxiety were significantly associated with parenting stress.

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Affiliations

  1. Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China

    Yun Gong, YaSong Du, HuiLin Li & XiYan Zhang

  2. Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Yu An & Bai-Lin Wu

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  1. Yun Gong
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  2. YaSong Du
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  3. HuiLin Li
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  4. XiYan Zhang
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Correspondence to YaSong Du.

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Gong, Y., Du, Y., Li, H. et al. Parenting stress and affective symptoms in parents of autistic children. Sci. China Life Sci. 58, 1036–1043 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-012-4293-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-012-4293-z

Keywords

  • autistic children
  • parenting stress
  • mental health
  • parenting stress index