The impact of behaviour problems on caregiver stress in young people with autism spectrum disorders.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to examine the correlates of caregiver stress in a large sample of young people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Two main objectives were to: (1) disentangle the effects of behaviour problems and level of functioning on caregiver stress; and (2) measure the stability of behaviour problems and caregiver stress.


METHODS
Parents or teachers of 293 young people with ASDs completed measures of stress, behaviour problems and social competence. Parents also completed an adaptive behaviour scale. Eighty-one young people were rated twice at a 1-year interval.


RESULTS
Parents and teachers did not perfectly agree on the nature and severity of behaviour problems. However, both sets of ratings indicated that behaviour problems were strongly associated with stress. Conduct problems in particular were significant predictors of stress. Adaptive skills were not significantly associated with caregiver stress. Parental reports of behaviour problems and stress were quite stable over the 1-year interval, much more so than teacher reports. Parent ratings suggested that behaviour problems and stress exacerbated each other over time. This transactional model did not fit the teacher data.


CONCLUSIONS
Results of this study suggested that it is a specific group of externalized behaviours that are the most strongly associated with both parent and teacher stress. Results were discussed from methodological and conceptual perspectives.
Lecavalier
L
L
Nisonger Center and Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210-1257, USA. lecavalier.1@osu.edu
Leone
S
S
Wiltz
J
J
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D015588:Observer Variation; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*