Stress, Psychological Wellbeing, and Coping Styles among Parents of Younger Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Comparative studies analyzing the experiences of stress, wellbeing, and coping styles in parents of children with autism across their age group are minimal. The present study aimed at comparing stress, psychological wellbeing, and coping styles in parents of children (3-10 years old) and adolescents (11-18 years old) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study included 49 parents of children with ASD from West Bengal, India. Mixed method was used to fulfill the objectives of the study. Findings revealed that parents of younger children and adolescents did not differ in their experience of stress, however, parents of younger children with autism reported higher stress in their child’s core social disability compared to adolescents. Also, parents of adolescents had better psychological wellbeing and used more coping strategies compared to the parents of younger children with autism. Qualitative results showed that child’s future concern, however, was the common stressor for parents of both age groups.