Parents of Children with ASD Experience More Psychological Distress, Parenting Stress, and Attachment-Related Anxiety.
There has been limited study of the relationship between child attachment and caregiver wellbeing amongst children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined self-reported child attachment quality alongside caregivers' report of their own psychological distress, parenting stress and attachment style, amongst 24 children with high-functioning autism or Asperger's disorder (ASD; aged 7-14 years) and 24 typically developing children (aged 7-12 years), and their primary caregiver. Children with ASD were no less secure, but their caregivers were more stressed and reported more attachment-related anxiety, compared to typically developing dyads. Child attachment security was related to caregiver psychological distress and attachment style, but only amongst typically developing children. Impacts of emotion processing impairments on caregiver-child relationships in ASD are discussed.
Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC, Australia. belindamkeenan@gmail.com.
Belinda M
BM
Keenan
Centre for Women's Mental Health, The Royal Women's Hospital and University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Louise K
LK
Newman
Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC, Australia.
Kylie M
KM
Gray
Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Nicole J
NJ
Rinehart
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*
Attachment; Autism spectrum disorder; Middle childhood; Parenting stress