Mental Wellbeing of Family Members of Autistic Adults.
Renske Herrema, Deborah Garland, Malcolm Osborne and 3 others
PMID 28861652WHAT IT FOUND
Many family members of autistic adults reported worry, anxiety, stress and depression.
Their own difficulty with uncertainty, plus the adult's mental health and lack of future preparedness, were associated with poorer wellbeing.
Key findings
01Family members commonly reported mental health symptoms: 60% had mild or above depression, 73% had mild or above anxiety, 47% had mild or above stress, and 75% had moderate to severe worry.
02Family members caring for an autistic adult with a co-morbid mental health difficulty reported poorer quality of life than those caring for someone without such difficulty.
03Family members' own intolerance of uncertainty was a significant predictor of their worry.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This was a cross-sectional survey, so it can show which factors were linked but not which factor caused another. Participants were recruited through autism organisations and a research-interest database, so they may be more aware of mental health issues than other family members. Most respondents were mothers, so the findings mainly represent mothers' experiences. Family members rated the autistic adult's intolerance of uncertainty rather than the adult self-reporting it. Fifty-three people started the survey but did not complete it, so the analysed sample may not represent all who were interested. The paper did not examine environmental factors such as socio-economic status and ethnicity. No intervention was tested, so the study cannot show that reducing uncertainty or improving future planning would help.
Declared interests
The supplied text states the funder was Research Autism.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that treating family members' intolerance of uncertainty or improving future planning will reduce their anxiety. The survey measured associations at one time and did not test an intervention, so it cannot show cause.