Relationship between Comorbid Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Parental Well-being

ABSTRACT

Aim

Frequency and relationship between child comorbid psychopathology and parental stress, quality of life (QoL), anxiety, depression, and social support were examined in parents of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Method

Parents of 152 children and adolescents with ASD completed the Autism Spectrum Disorder-Comorbid for Children, Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, World Health Organization Quality of Life Abbreviated Version, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.

Results

A series of one-way multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to examine the relationship between child comorbid psychopathology and parental well-being. A relationship was found between parental QoL, depression and anxiety and child comorbid psychopathology. Results showed a relationship between parental stress and the severity of child conduct, and repetitive behaviors.

Conclusion

This study adds to existing literature by demonstrating the relationship between comorbid psychopathology in children and adolescents in ASD and parental well-being.

KEYWORDS:

• Autism spectrum disorder
• comorbidity
• comorbid psychopathology
• behavior problems
• parental well-being
• parental quality of life

Compliance With Ethical Standards

Conflict of Interest: All the authors of this article declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of National University of Ireland Galway and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.