Psychopathology in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence.
Roughly one in three parents of autistic children meet the cut-off for depression or anxiety, so screen caregiver mood at every visit.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team pooled 63 studies that asked parents of autistic children about their mental health. They counted how many parents met the cut-off for depression, anxiety, and other disorders.
All data came from questionnaires or clinical interviews. The review covered papers published through 2019.
What they found
Roughly one in three parents scored in the clinical range for depression. About the same number reached the cut-off for anxiety. Rates for other disorders were lower.
The numbers varied a lot between studies, but the overall picture stayed the same: parental distress is common.
How this fits with other research
Cohrs et al. (2017) used insurance claims and also found parents of autistic children have two to three times the odds of depression. The new meta-analysis widens the lens by adding anxiety and other conditions.
Faught et al. (2021) showed that during the early COVID-19 period parental distress nearly doubled. Their finding extends the 31% baseline into a real-world crisis.
Lee et al. (2022) asked what helps. Their meta-analysis found parent-training programs give only a small boost to mental health. Knowing the 31% prevalence is high, we still lack strong tools to bring it down.
Why it matters
You now have a clear number to share with funders and families: about one in three parents of autistic children meet criteria for depression or anxiety. Build a two-minute mood screen into every intake. Keep a list of local counseling services handy. One quick question and one warm hand-off can lighten the load for the whole family.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder appear to experience high levels of psychological distress, yet little is known about the prevalence of psychological disorders in this population. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the proportion of these parents who experience clinically significant psychopathology. Articles reporting proportions of psychological disorders in a sample of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder were located. The initial search returned 25,988 articles. Thirty-one studies with a total sample of 9208 parents were included in the final review. The median meta-analytic proportions were 31% (95% confidence interval = [24%, 38%]) for depressive disorders, 33% (95% confidence interval = [20%, 48%]) for anxiety disorders, 10% (95% confidence interval = [1%, 41%]) for obsessive-compulsive disorder, 4% (95% confidence interval = [0%, 22%]) for personality disorders, 2% (95% confidence interval = [1%, 4%]) for alcohol and substance use disorders and 1% (95% confidence interval = [0%, 5%]) for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Significant heterogeneity was detected in these categories. Further research is needed to gain more insight into variables that may moderate parental psychopathology. This review and meta-analysis is the first to provide prevalence estimates of psychological disorders in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2020 · doi:10.1177/1362361319844636