Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in North India: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Objective: Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience greater levels of stress, anxiety, and depression than parents with typically developing children. Severity of the child’s symptoms and awareness that their child’s symptoms may be lifelong further increases stress among parents. In this study, we intended to collect data on the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress in parents of children with ASD in North India. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 45 children with a diagnosis of ASD and their parents attending the Child and Adolescent Guidance Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak, Haryana, India. Children were assessed for the severity of ASD using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Depression, stress, and anxiety in parents of these children were assessed using Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS) Hindi version. Results: Prevalence of depression was seen among 66.7% of the parents, and anxiety and stress were seen among 60% and 71.7% of the parents, respectively. In this study, we also found that parental depression ( p = 0.001), anxiety ( p < 0.001), and stress ( p < 0.001) were significantly influenced by the severity of their child’s ASD symptoms. Conclusion: The data suggest that as the severity of ASD increases, so do the levels of parental depression, anxiety, and stress, highlighting the need for targeted support and interventions for these families.