IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH (IJHPR )

E-ISSN 2545-5737
P-ISSN 2695-2165
VOL. 9 NO. 4 2024
DOI: 10.56201/ijhpr.v9.no4.2024.pg1.15

---

Exploring the Impact of Autism on the Mental Health of parents with Children on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Aruwajoye Evelyn Omotolani

---

Abstract

Numerous situations necessitate social adjustments within families, and the birth of a child represents a fundamental instance. However, no matter how prepared a family is, none is prepared enough for the birth of a child with ASD and the challenges that comes with it. The complexities associated with the birth and upbringing of an autistic child intertwine intricate array of challenges both within the family unit and within the broader societal context. Asides, confronting societal isolation, parents grapple not only with comprehending the intricacies of autism but also with primary questions regarding causality, management strategies, avenues for support, and the uncertainties of their children's future. This constant struggle manifests in persistent stress, anxiety, and depression, as substantiated by existing research, which underscores a higher prevalence of these mental health challenges amongst parents raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in comparison to their counterparts raising typically developing children. This study meticulously employed a systematic search approach across two prominent databases, Cinahl Ultimate and PsyINFO. After the application of rigorous exclusion and inclusion criteria, the review and assessment of articles from these databases encompassed the selection of 10 articles, elucidating pertinent insights. The findings revealed a recurring pattern of increased level of stress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety adverse mental health outcomes among parents raising children with ASD due to an interplay of innumerable numbers of factors. This complex interplay of factors included the critical influence of social support both formal and informal, societal lack of understanding culminating in isolation and stigmatization, behavioural challenges exhibited by ASD children which make them constantly fall below societal expectation, coping mechanisms adopted by parents, socioeconomic factors

keywords:

Autism spectrum disorder, social adjustment, child birth, stress, anxiety, societal

---

References:

Advances in Mental Health. (2017). Parenting a child with an autism spectrum disorder: a
review of parent mental health and its relationship to a trauma-based conceptualisation.
[online] Available at: https://www-tandfonline-
com.ezproxy.derby.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1080/18387357.2015.1133075 [Accessed 11 Mar.
2023].
Al-Oran, H., Khuan, L., Ying, L.P. and Hassouneh, O. (2022). Coping Mechanism among
Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Review. Iranian journal of child
neurology, [online] 16(1), pp.9–17. doi:https://doi.org/10.22037/ijcn.v16i2.31518.
Ben Itzchak, E. and Zachor, D.A. (2011). Who Benefits from Early Intervention in Autism
Spectrum disorders? Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(1), pp.345–350.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2010.04.018.
Benson, P.R. (2010). Coping, distress, and well-being in Mothers of Children with Autism.
Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4(2), pp.217–228.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2009.09.008.
Benson, P.R. (2023). Maternal Mental Health and the Behavior of Children with Autism
Spectrum disorder: Unidirectional and Bidirectional Effects. Research in Autism
Spectrum Disorders, 103, p.102133. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2023.102133.
Bi, X., He, H., Lin, H. and Fan, X. (2022). Influence of Social Support Network and Perceived
Social Support on the Subjective Wellbeing of Mothers of Children With Autism
Spectrum Disorder. Frontiers in Psychology, 13.
doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.835110.
Blanche, E.I., Diaz, J., Barretto, T. and Cermak, S.A. (2015). Caregiving Experiences of Latino
Families With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. American Journal of
Occupational Therapy, 69(5), p.6905185010p1.
doi:https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2015.017848.
Cameron, H. and Cooper, L. (2020). Fathers’ experiences as carers for autistic children with
learning disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 49(1), pp.13–22.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12349.
Catalano, D., Holloway, L. and Mpofu, E. (2018a). Mental Health Interventions for Parent
Carers of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Practice Guidelines from a Critical
Interpretive Synthesis (CIS) Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental
Research and Public Health, [online] 15(2), p.341.
doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15020341.
Dabrowska, A. and Pisula, E. (2010). Parenting stress and coping styles in mothers and fathers of
pre-school children with autism and Down syndrome. Journal of Intellectual Disability
Research, 54(3), pp.266–280. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.2010.01258.x.
Derby.ac.uk. (2016). Stress and Parents of Children with Autism: A Review of Literature:
LIBRARY PLUS - for books, articles and more. [online] Available at: https://eds-p-
ebscohost-com.ezproxy.derby.ac.uk/eds/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=79ab9bc0-db84-444a-
a37a-12319234bf97%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=edselc.2-
52.0-84962654607&db=edselc [Accessed 10 Mar. 2023].
Derby.ac.uk. (2023). Available at:
https://courseresources.derby.ac.uk/ultra/courses/_86462_1/cl/outline [Accessed 12 Mar.
2023].
Eriksen, M.B. and Frandsen, T.F. (2018). The Impact of patient, intervention, comparison,
Outcome (PICO) as a Search Strategy Tool on Literature Search quality: a Systematic
Review. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 106(4), pp.420–431.
doi:https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2018.345.
Estes, A., Olson, E., Sullivan, K., Greenson, J., Winter, J., Dawson, G. and Munson, J. (2013).
Parenting-related Stress and Psychological Distress in Mothers of Toddlers with Autism
Spectrum Disorders. Brain and Development, 35(2), pp.133–138.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.braindev.2012.10.004.
Farrugia, D. (2009). Exploring stigma: medical knowledge and the stigmatisation of parents of
children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Sociology of Health & Illness, 31(7),
pp.1011–1027. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2009.01174.x.
Firth, I. and Dryer, R. (2013). The Predictors of Distress in Parents of Children with Autism
Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 38(2), pp.163–
doi:https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2013.773964.
Herrema, R., Garland, D., Osborne, M., Freeston, M., Honey, E. and Rodgers, J. (2017). Mental
Wellbeing of Family Members of Autistic Adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental
Disorders, 47(11), pp.3589–3599. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3269-z.
Hoffman, C.D., Sweeney, D.P., Hodge, D., Lopez-Wagner, M.C. and Looney, L. (2009).
Parenting Stress and Closeness. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities,
24(3), pp.178–187. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1088357609338715.
Hoogsteen, L. and Woodgate, R.L. (2013). The Lived Experience of Parenting a Child with
Autism in a Rural Area: Making the Invisible, Visible. PubMed, 39(5), pp.233–7.
Huang, C.-Y., Yen, H.-C., Tseng, M.-H., Tung, L.-C., Chen, Y.-D. and Chen, K.-L. (2014).
Impacts of Autistic Behaviors, Emotional and Behavioral Problems on Parenting Stress in
Caregivers of Children with Autism. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders,
[online] 44(6), pp.1383–1390. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-2000-y.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (2022). Levy Library Guides: Evidence Based
Medicine: the PICO Framework. [online] Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Available at:
https://libguides.mssm.edu/ebm/ebp_pico#:~:text=The%20PICO%20framework%20is%
20the.
Ilias, K., Cornish, K., Kummar, A.S., Park, M.S.-A. and Golden, K.J. (2018). Parenting Stress
and Resilience in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in
Southeast Asia: a Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychology, 9.
doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00280.
Joon, P., Kumar, A. and Parle, M. (2021). What is autism? Pharmacological Reports, 73(5).
doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s43440-021-00244-0.
Karst, J.S. and Van Hecke, A.V. (2012). Parent and Family Impact of Autism Spectrum
Disorders: A Review and Proposed Model for Intervention Evaluation. Clinical Child
and Family Psychology Review, [online] 15(3), pp.247–277.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-012-0119-6.
Kelly, B., Williams, S., Collins, S., Mushtaq, F., Mon-Williams, M., Wright, B., Mason, D. and
Wright, J. (2017). The Association between Socioeconomic Status and Autism Diagnosis
in the United Kingdom for Children Aged 5–8?years of age: Findings from the Born in
Bradford Cohort. Autism, 23(1), pp.131–140.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361317733182.
Lú, Magalhães, S. and Pereira, A. (2017). Early Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder:
Concerns and Support of Portuguese Mothers. [online] Available at:
https://repositorium.sdum.uminho.pt/bitstream/1822/51012/1/Magalhaes.pdf [Accessed
10 Jan. 2024].
Mann, C.J. (2003). Observational research methods. Research design II: cohort, cross sectional,
and case-control studies. Emergency Medicine Journal, [online] 20(1), pp.54–60.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/emj.20.1.54.
Mathew, N.E., Burton, K.L.O., Schierbeek, A., ?rn?ec, R., Walter, A. and Eapen, V. (2019).
Parenting Preschoolers with autism: Socioeconomic Influences on Wellbeing and Sense
of Competence. World Journal of Psychiatry, 9(2), pp.30–46.
doi:https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v9.i2.30.
McConkey, R. and Samadi, S.A. (2012). The impact of mutual support on Iranian parents of
children with an autism spectrum disorder: a longitudinal study. Disability and
Rehabilitation, 35(9), pp.775–784. doi:https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2012.707744.
Mwita, K. (2022). Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Research in Social Science Studies.
International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478), [online]
11(6), pp.618–625. doi:https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v11i6.1920.
National Autistic Society (2023a). What is Autism? [online] Autism.org.uk. Av

DOWNLOAD PDF

---

Back