High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adults: Consequences for Primary Caregivers Compared to Schizophrenia and Depression.
Inge A C Grootscholten, Bob van Wijngaarden, Cornelis C Kan
PMID 29313177WHAT IT FOUND
Caregivers of adults with high-functioning autism reported similar overall burden to caregivers of people with depression or schizophrenia, but more relationship tension and more distress than schizophrenia caregivers.
Key findings
01The total caregiver consequence score did not differ significantly among caregivers of people with ASD, depression, or schizophrenia.
02Relationship tension was significantly higher for caregivers of adults with ASD than for caregivers of people with schizophrenia or depression.
03Caregivers of ASD patients had a mean GHQ-12 distress score of 14.56, compared with 12.56 for caregivers of people with schizophrenia, and 62% versus 49% scored above the threshold of 11.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire had not been officially validated for ASD, and the Supervision subscale showed poor reliability in this sample and was excluded from comparisons. The ASD caregivers were recruited through a psychoeducational course, so they may not represent caregivers of all adults with ASD. The study did not control for demographic factors such as age, gender, or household arrangement. The comparison groups came from different samples and contexts, with different patient and caregiver characteristics. No data were available on co-occurring psychiatric disorders in the patients or caregivers. The findings are cross-sectional and cannot show that ASD caused caregiver consequences. A confirmatory factor analysis could not be done because the ASD sample was small.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not report funding or conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these caregiver scores as proof that ASD caused the strain or that psychoeducation helps caregivers. The study compared questionnaire samples, did not control for demographic factors, and included only caregivers who joined a psychoeducational course.