What worries parents of a child with Autism? Evidence from a biomarker for chronic stress. (March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bitsika, Vicki; Sharpley, Christopher F.; Andronicos, Nicholas M.; Agnew, Linda L.
• Is Part Of: Research in developmental disabilities. Volume 62(2017:Mar.)
• Page Start: 209
• Page End: 217
• Publication Date: 2017-03
• Subjects: Autism -- Parental stress -- Self-injurious behaviour -- Cortisol -- Dysregulation; Developmental disabilities -- Periodicals; Developmentally disabled -- Research -- United States -- Periodicals; Developmentally disabled children -- Education -- Research -- United States -- Periodicals; Developmental Disabilities -- Periodicals; Disabled -- Periodicals; Mental Retardation -- rehabilitation -- Periodicals; Personnes atteintes de troubles du développement -- Recherche -- États-Unis -- Périodiques; Enfants atteints de troubles du développement -- Éducation -- Recherche -- États-Unis -- Périodiques; Développement, Troubles du -- Recherche -- États-Unis -- Périodiques; 616.858800
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2017.02.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0891-4222

Abstract

Highlights: Parents of children with ASD report high levels of stress. Some ASD-related factors have been correlated with parental stress. Previous studies used parent self-report which may be biased. Parents' HPA-axis dysregulation provided a biological marker for chronic stress. Childrens' self-injurious behaviour correlated with parents biological stress. Abstract: Background: Previous studies have reported correlations between various aspects of the behaviour and symptomatology of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their parents' self-reports of stress via standardised scales. Aims: To extend that literature, a physiological index of parental chronic stress was used instead of their self-reports—dysregulation of the Diurnal Rhythm (DR) of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. Methods: A sample of 149 parents of a child with ASD provided salivary cortisol at the predicted time of daily maximum cortisol concentration and at a time of daily lower concentration. Adherence to the predicted DR was assessed via a dichotomous (present/not-present) as well as a continuous measure, and MANOVA and linear regression were used to detect significant associations between ASD-related variables in their children and parents' DR. Results: Identified only a single significant correlate of DR dysregulation in both statistical procedures—Self-Injurious Behaviour (SIB) exhibited by their child and observed by the parents. Conclusions and Implications: These findings extend previous data using self-report indices of parental stress and should be included in parent-support settings to alert parents to the long-term health effects of the stress they experience in regard to their child's SIB.