Parental Stress and Coping in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Network Analysis of Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

• Parental stress significantly impacts children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• Network analysis offers a novel approach to understanding parent-child stress dynamics.
• This study investigates the interplay between parental stress, coping, and child psychopathology in ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the complex interactions between parental stress dimensions and coping mechanisms.
• To examine how these factors differentially relate to internalizing and externalizing symptoms in children with ASD.
• To identify targeted intervention points within the parent-child stress-coping system.

Main Methods:

• Utilized network modeling (Multivariate Gaussian Model with gLASSO) on data from parents of children with ASD (aged 6-12).
• Assessed parental stress using the Autism Parenting Stress Index (APSI).
• Evaluated child behavior problems with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and coping strategies with the Brief COPE scale.

Main Results:

• Identified significant links between autism-related stress and affective problems.
• Found strong associations between conduct problems and oppositional defiant behaviors.
• Adaptive coping strategies showed high centrality, indicating a protective role, while maladaptive strategies had negative centrality, suggesting limited benefit.

Conclusions:

• Adaptive coping strategies act as crucial buffers against parental stress impacting child outcomes.
• Maladaptive coping strategies can exacerbate the stress cycle in families with ASD.
• Interventions should prioritize enhancing parental resilience and adaptive coping skills alongside symptom management for children with ASD.