Abstract
Family members are often the primary caregiver for autistic adults and this responsibility may impact on the carer’s wellbeing and quality of life. 109 family members of autistic adults completed an online survey assessing their wellbeing relating to their caring role for their autistic relative. Family members who were supporting an autistic relative with co-occurring mental health difficulties and who they reported as unprepared for the future, self-reported higher levels of worry, depression, anxiety and stress, and poorer quality of life. These findings emphasise the importance of support for family members of autistic adults, whether through external services to support their relative or individual mental health support for the carer.
Highlights
As autistic individuals approach adulthood, external support often diminishes and family members frequently become the primary source of support (Happé and Charlton 2012; Howlin and Moss 2012)
Given that autistic adults and their family members face uncertainty with regard to the future, we examined the relationships between intolerance of uncertainty and mental health problems among family members and caregivers of autistic adults
Our aims were to explore the predictors of mental wellbeing amongst family members and caregivers supporting an autistic adult
Summary
As autistic individuals approach adulthood, external support often diminishes and family members frequently become the primary source of support (Happé and Charlton 2012; Howlin and Moss 2012). Siblings described the need for support services to address their own concerns, as they often find themselves alone or isolated due to time spent caregiving This is further supported by Benderix and Sivberg (2007), who found that siblings of autistic individuals with an intellectual disability experienced stressful life conditions and limited their own social lives, which they attributed to their caring role. It is predicted that some of the challenges caring for an autistic adult such as the presence of intellectual disabilities, challenging behaviour and additional mental health problems as well as uncertainties about the future will contribute to poorer mental health outcomes for family members, namely worry, depression, anxiety and stress. Family members who have higher levels of intolerance of uncertainty will have higher levels of mental health symptoms themselves
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
