Stress in parents of autistic children

Abstract

Aim: the study aims to establish the level of stress experienced by parents of autistic children, the connection between stress levels and gender and marital status of parents, the connection between stress levels and the age, gender and diagnosis of the child. Method: Stress levels in 105 parents of children suffering from autism, Asperger's syndrome and high-functioning autism were measured by means of the Parenting Stress Index questionnaire. Results: high stress levels were established in parents of autistic children (93rd percentile). Total stress is connected with all stress parameters (parental stress, difficult child, and dysfunctional parent-child interaction). Stress levels are not connected with parent's gender and marital status, or with the child's diagnosis. Stress is connected with the child's age, and higher in parents with older children.

Cilj: cilj istraživanja je utvrditi stepen stresa koji doživljavaju roditelji dece sa autizmom, povezanost količine stresa sa polom, bračnim stanjem roditelja, povezanost količine stresa sa uzrastom, polom i dijagnozom deteta. Metod: Stepen stresa kod 105 roditelja dece sa autizmom, Aspergerovim sindromom i visokofunkcionalnim autizmom ispitivali smo upitnikom Parenting Stress Index. Rezultati: utvrđen je visok nivo stresa kod roditelja dece sa autizmom (93. percentil). Ukupan stres je povezan sa svim parametrima stresa (roditeljski stres, teško dete i disfunkcionalna interakcija roditelj-dete). Stepen stresa nije povezan sa polom i bračnim stanjem roditelja kao ni sa dijagnozom deteta. Stres je povezan sa uzrastom deteta, i intenzivni je kod roditelja koji imaju stariju decu.