Parenting stress among parents of autistic children: a latent profile analysis

Long-term care for autistic children tends to expose parents to higher levels of parenting stress, which affects the quality of family life and the child's development and well-being. The first objective of this study was to identify profiles of parenting stress in parents of autistic children, and the second objective was to explore the influencing factors affecting the profiles. The Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) was administered to 231 parents. Results indicated significant within-group differences in parenting stress, which could be profiled into three profiles: low-stress, medium-stress, and high-stress. Coping styles, support utilization and autism symptom severity significantly influenced the profiles of parenting stress. This study will provide an effective guide to alleviate parenting stress and facilitate the development and well-being of autistic children.