Examining how Stress, Closeness, and Parenting Satisfaction Differ Between Caregiving Groups

• In Event: Poster Session 05
  In Poster Session: PS 05 Topic - Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

It is well documented that parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience higher levels of parenting stress compared to parents of neurotypical children or children with other disabilities (Hutchison et al., 2016). High stress can be detrimental for parental mental health (Tomeny, 2017) and can negatively impact the entire family unit (Jellet et al., 2015). Some research suggests that parenting satisfaction buffers parental stress within the ASD population (Conti, 2015). Parents of children with ASD may also experience lower feelings of closeness with their children; however, these findings are less clear. Several studies have shown that parents of children with ASD feel less close to their children compared to children with other developmental delays (Hoppes & Harris, 1990; Teague et al., 2018). One recent study compared the Attachment Subscale to the stress scores in the Child Domain and found that parents of children with ASD feel as close to their children as parents of neurotypical children despite experiencing significantly higher stress (Hoffman et al., 2009). While several investigations have focused on stress in primary caregivers and parental satisfaction regarding ASD interventions, our study aims to expand the knowledge base by examining parental stress, parent-child closeness, and parenting satisfaction within the parent-child relationship to better understand the experience of both primary and secondary caregivers of children with ASD and other disabilities.
We collected these data as part of a study examining savoring interventions for mothers of children with ASD. The current sample includes 38 dyads of primary female caregivers and secondary caregivers of children with ASD and developmental delays between the ages of 3 through 7. Only participating primary female caregivers that also had a secondary caregiver complete the study will be used in these analyses. While secondary caregivers included fathers, grandparents, romantic partners, or siblings, all secondary caregivers reported playing a significant role in co-parenting. Both caregivers completed the 36-item Parenting Stress Index Short Form (Abidin, 1995), the 3-item Kansas Parental Satisfaction Scale (James et al., 1985), and the Inclusion of Other in the Self (Aron et al., 1992). We hypothesize that primary caregivers will have higher stress levels and feel higher levels of closeness to their children compared to secondary caregivers, and secondary caregivers will display higher parenting satisfaction compared to primary caregivers. We will test these hypotheses using repeated measures ANOVAS to determine the differences between the groups of caregivers. These data are collected and prepared for analysis, providing adequate time to share results and conclusions of the study prior to the conference registration.
These findings will help provide a more holistic view of parenting experiences by using separate measures of each construct. We anticipate these findings will be useful for researchers and practitioners to consider in terms of supporting the family unit. Results may shed light on the variability in caregiver stress for young children with ASD and provide insight for ways to support families affected by ASD within the bidirectional relationship that shapes the future for families affected by ASD (Sameroff, 2009).

Authors

• Ashley Elizabeth Griffith, University of California, Irvine
  Presenting Author

• Cassidy C Weiss, University of California - Irvine
  Non-Presenting Author

• Gerin Gaskin, Claremont Graduate University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jessica L Borelli, University of California - Irvine
  Non-Presenting Author