title: The factors predicting stress, anxiety and depression in the parents of children with autism.
abstract: The factors predicting stress, anxiety and depression in the parents of children with autism remain poorly understood. In this study, a cohort of 250 mothers and 229 fathers of one or more children with autism completed a questionnaire assessing reported parental mental health problems, locus of control, social support, perceived parent-child attachment, as well as autism symptom severity and perceived externalizing behaviours in the child with autism. Variables assessing parental cognitions and socioeconomic support were found to be more significant predictors of parental mental health problems than child-centric variables. A path model, describing the relationship between the dependent and independent variables, was found to be a good fit with the observed data for both mothers and fathers.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Churchill Avenue, Sandy Bay, Hobart, TAS, 7005, Australia, Nicholas.falk@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nicholas Henry
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.forename: Kimberley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Quinn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult