Poster #14 - Disruptive Behavior and Parenting Stress in Autism: An Investigation of Relationship Quality and Social Support

• In Event: Poster Session 06

Abstract

Introduction: Caregivers of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience high levels of stress which can be exacerbated by the presence and severity of child disruptive behaviors (e.g., aggression, defiance). Recent research has found that elevated parenting stress is associated with lower quality of parent-child relationships, and other studies have suggested closeness in the parent-child with ASD relationship may be associated with rates of behavior problems (Hickey et al., 2020; Greenlee et al., 2021). Further, research in the general population suggests a stress-buffering model, with perceived social support protecting parents against stress. However, this model has rarely been applied to families of youth with ASD, particularly in the context of disruptive behavior (e.g., Robinson & Weiss, 2020). The present study assessed the potential mediating effect of parent-child relationship quality on the relation between child disruptive behavior and parenting stress, and the possible moderating role of social support. We hypothesized that the association between disruptive behavior and parenting stress would be partially mediated by parent-child relationship quality with social support moderating both the direct and indirect pathways, such that parents with high levels of perceived social support would not be as heavily impacted by disruptive behaviors.

Methods: Caregivers (N = 511) of youth with ASD, ages 4 – 18, completed the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, the Parenting Stress Index, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Caregivers also completed a Relationship Closeness and Satisfaction scale. The moderated mediation model utilized a bootstrapping approach and controlled for child age and gender.

Results: Results indicated a partial mediation but did not support a moderated mediation nor a moderated direct effect. Both the a-path and b-path were significant ps < .001), as was the c-path (p < .001), indicating that parent-child relationship quality partially mediated the relation between disruptive behavior and parenting stress. The index of moderated mediation for the indirect effect was not significant. At all levels of social support, parent-child relationship quality significantly mediated the relation between disruptive behaviors and parenting stress. There was, similarly, no moderation on the direct effect (p = .102), indicating that at all levels of social support, disruptive behaviors were similarly predictive of parenting stress. Social support did predict both parent-child relationship quality (p = .001) and parenting stress (p < .001). Age was also associated with the parent-child relationship (β = -.46, p = .0002) but gender was not (p = .613). Neither age nor gender were associated with parenting stress.

Discussion: These findings highlight the importance of parent-child closeness among families of autistic youth. Results did not support perceived social support as a moderator, suggesting the stress-buffering model may not extend to families of youth with ASD endorsing disruptive behavior and parenting stress. Further clinical research is needed to clarify the role of the parent-child relationship as a treatment target in family-mediated interventions.

Authors

• Rebecca Scott Bradley, University of Arkansas
  Presenting Author

• Monica Sofia Trevino, University of Missouri - Saint Louis

• Leah Gelfand

• Lauren B Quetsch, University of Arkansas

• Cynthia E Brown, Pacific University

• Lindsey S Aloia, University of Arkansas

• Stephen M Kanne, Weill Cornell Medical College