Understanding and Addressing Care-Related Distress among Parents of Autistic Youth

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that is characterized by differences in social communication and the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) or interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Previous research has consistently found that parents of autistic children experience high levels of parenting stress and caregiver strain. These psychological factors, hereafter referred to as “care-related distress,” have been linked to a variety of maladaptive outcomes for autistic children and their caregivers. This three-paper dissertation series seeks to further understand care-related distress among caregivers of autistic children and explore intervention strategies to reduce it. Paper 1 aims to understand the relationship between child autism symptomology and caregiver strain and the moderating effect of child age. Paper 2 is a systematic review of psychosocial interventions aimed at reducing care-related distress. Paper 3 seeks to evaluate the efficacy of a community-implemented Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention aimed at reducing parenting stress. Overall, this dissertation highlights the importance of reducing care-related distress among parents of autistic children and discusses possibly effective strategies based on an individual’s needs and context.