TY - JOUR
T1 - What worries parents of a child with Autism? Evidence from a biomarker for chronic stress
AU - Bitsika, Vicki
AU - Sharpley, Christopher F.
AU - Andronicos, Nicholas M.
AU - Agnew, Linda L.
PY - 2017/3/1
Y1 - 2017/3/1
N2 - Background: Previous studies have reported correlations between various aspects of the behaviour and symptomatology of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their parents' self-reports of stress via standardised scales. Aims: To extend that literature, a physiological index of parental chronic stress was used instead of their self-reports-dysregulation of the Diurnal Rhythm (DR) of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. Methods: A sample of 149 parents of a child with ASD provided salivary cortisol at the predicted time of daily maximum cortisol concentration and at a time of daily lower concentration. Adherence to the predicted DR was assessed via a dichotomous (present/not-present) as well as a continuous measure, and MANOVA and linear regression were used to detect significant associations between ASD-related variables in their children and parents' DR. Results: Identified only a single significant correlate of DR dysregulation in both statistical procedures-Self-Injurious Behaviour (SIB) exhibited by their child and observed by the parents. Conclusions and Implications: These findings extend previous data using self-report indices of parental stress and should be included in parent-support settings to alert parents to the long-term health effects of the stress they experience in regard to their child's SIB.
AB - Background: Previous studies have reported correlations between various aspects of the behaviour and symptomatology of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their parents' self-reports of stress via standardised scales. Aims: To extend that literature, a physiological index of parental chronic stress was used instead of their self-reports-dysregulation of the Diurnal Rhythm (DR) of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. Methods: A sample of 149 parents of a child with ASD provided salivary cortisol at the predicted time of daily maximum cortisol concentration and at a time of daily lower concentration. Adherence to the predicted DR was assessed via a dichotomous (present/not-present) as well as a continuous measure, and MANOVA and linear regression were used to detect significant associations between ASD-related variables in their children and parents' DR. Results: Identified only a single significant correlate of DR dysregulation in both statistical procedures-Self-Injurious Behaviour (SIB) exhibited by their child and observed by the parents. Conclusions and Implications: These findings extend previous data using self-report indices of parental stress and should be included in parent-support settings to alert parents to the long-term health effects of the stress they experience in regard to their child's SIB.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85011982185&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ridd.2017.02.003
DO - 10.1016/j.ridd.2017.02.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85011982185
SN - 0891-4222
VL - 62
SP - 209
EP - 217
JO - Research in Developmental Disabilities
JF - Research in Developmental Disabilities
ER -