Stigma among Parents of Children with Autism: An Integrative Review

Abstract

The number of children diagnosed with autism is increasing around the world. The role of parents is vital in caring for children with autism, but stigma is a challenging and prevalent aspect that families face in raising and caring for them. This integrative review, undertaken by nurse researchers in 2022, synthesized the existing knowledge of current studies about stigma status and the factors relating to stigma among parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder. The electronic databases searched included PubMed, CINAHL (EBSCO), EMBASE, and Scopus, using the keywords “stigmatization,” “parents,” and “autism.” Thirty-six studies without time limits were included in this review, 16 qualitative, 15 quantitative, four mixed-method, and one interventional study. The results indicated that stigma was common among parents of children with autism in all studies. However, there was a difference related to cultural stigma among parents with autism in Western, Asian, and Middle Eastern countries. Both modifiable and unmodifiable factors were associated with the stigma, for example, parents’ age, marital status, child’s behavior, and social support. Further longitudinal studies on stigma should be conducted in low-resource areas with different caregivers in large sample sizes to identify the prevalence of stigma and stigma changes among parents of children with autism. This review’s results provide evidence for further intervention studies that address factors related to reducing stigma among parents of children with autism. Moreover, healthcare professionals, including nurses working with these families, should assess the level of stigma among these parents to provide timely support.