Psychiatric symptoms and their predictors in aging parents of adults with autism spectrum disorder

Parenting an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects the mental health of both mothers and fathers. A chronic disorder, ASD, has devastating effects on parental mental health as the affected individual moves from childhood to adulthood. While the effects of ASD on parental mental health during childhood have been studied extensively, there is limited information regarding the mental health of aging parents of the expanding adult ASD population. In this context, we aimed to determine the psychiatric symptoms (PS) levels of parents of adult with ASD, to compare the PS level between mothers and fathers, to investigate the relationship between parental PS and variables related to the individuals with ASD and their parents. To assess the parents' PS, the Brief Symptom Inventory was administered to 77 parents of adults with ASD. ASD severity was evaluated with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, behavioral problems were assessed with the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, independence level (IL) of the cases was measured with the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, and social functioning level (SFL) of the cases was evaluated using the Social Functioning Scale. At all ages from childhood to adulthood, the most common primary caregiver was mother. Mothers' labor force participation rate was significantly lower than fathers' (p < 0.05). Mothers' somatization (p = 0.028) and depression (p = 0.002) levels were significantly higher than fathers'. The somatization score of the mothers of cases with comorbid medical diagnosis and intellectual disability (ID) was significantly higher than those without. The depression score of fathers of cases with ID and illiteracy was significantly higher (p < 0.05). The negative self-concept score of fathers of cases with ID, illiteracy, and dependent self-care and toileting was significantly higher (p < 0.05). As IL increased, paternal depression and negative self-concept levels decreased significantly (p < 0.05). When SFL increased, maternal anxiety, depression, and somatization and paternal negative self-concept levels decreased significantly (p < 0.05). In regression analyses, maternal anxiety was significantly associated with irritability, depression with hyperactivity, negative self-concept with irritability; somatization with irritability and the presence of medical diease in mother and patient; hostility with hyperactivity. Paternal anxiety, depression, somatization, and hostility were associated with irritability; negative self-concept with irritability and social withdrawal. It is hoped these results contribute to a better understanding of the protective and risk factors of the psychopathology of parents of adults with ASD, a topic relatively poorly studied.