Coping in Parents and Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): a Review

Abstract

Parents and caregivers of children with ASD have reported significant stress and challenges in caregiving. However, stress coping research in parents and caregivers of children remains limited. This review attempted to close this gap. For this review, 37 studies investigating the (1) underlying themes, (2) contributing factors, and (3) psychological outcomes of ASD-related parental and caregiver coping, were selected from the literature. Results revealed that the two most useful coping resources, i.e., problem-focused coping (45.9 %) and social support (37.8 %), were supported by parental stress coping studies. Parents’ and caregivers’ use of coping strategies was also influenced by (1) demographical characteristics (i.e., gender, age, education, income, language) and psychological attributes (i.e., personality, cultural values, optimism, sense of coherence, benefit-finding and sense-making abilities, emotional health, coping styles), (2) child characteristics (i.e., age, gender, medical conditions, cognitive and adaptive functioning abilities, language difficulties, and behavior problems) and (2) situational variables (i.e., treatment availability, family function, and clinician referrals to support resources). Finally, methodological limitations in past studies were discussed. This review emphasized the importance of further examination on the coping mechanisms of parents/caregivers of children with ASD.