What worries parents of a child with Autism? Evidence from a biomarker for chronic stress

Publication date: Available online 12 February 2017
Source:Research in Developmental Disabilities
Author(s): Vicki Bitsika, Christopher F. Sharpley, Nicholas M. Andronicos, Linda L. Agnew
BackgroundPrevious 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.AimsTo 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.MethodsA 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.ResultsIdentified 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 ImplicationsThese 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.



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