Transactional Relations Between Parenting Stress and Child Autism Symptoms and Behavior Problems.
Geovanna Rodriguez, Sigan L Hartley, Daniel Bolt
PMID 30623270WHAT IT FOUND
Parenting stress predicted later increases in child internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, while child ASD symptoms predicted later parenting stress.
These bidirectional links varied by parent and time, suggesting interventions should target both parental distress and child behavior simultaneously.
Key findings
01Higher parenting stress predicted increases in child internalizing behavior problems over time for both mothers and fathers, but child internalizing problems did not predict later parenting stress.
02Child ASD symptom severity predicted later parenting stress, particularly for fathers early in the study and mothers later, while parenting stress also predicted later child ASD symptoms.
03Mothers reported significantly higher parenting stress than fathers across all four time points, though reports of child behavior problems were largely similar between parents.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
All measures were parent-report, creating shared method variance where a stressed parent may rate their child's behavior more negatively. The sample was largely White, middle socio-economic status, and male (86%), limiting generalizability to diverse or female populations. Only two-parent, co-residing households were included, so findings do not apply to single-parent families. The study could not account for unobserved confounds like parent well-being, number of children, or support services.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these associations as proof that parenting stress causes ASD symptoms or behavior problems. The study shows statistical prediction over time in a naturalistic setting, but cannot rule out unmeasured factors or confirm causality.