Self-care in caregivers of children with FASD: How do caregivers care for themselves, and what are the benefits and obstacles for doing so?
For FASD caregivers, believing ‘I can care for myself’ lowers stress far more than counting self-care minutes.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Carson’s team asked 97 FASD caregivers to fill out a 15-minute online survey. They wanted to know how often the adults did self-care and how sure they felt about doing it right.
The survey also measured stress, parenting joy, and family life. Kids’ ages ranged from 3 to 18, and most caregivers were moms.
What they found
Feeling confident about self-care beat actually doing it. Parents who said, “I know how to take care of myself,” had the lowest stress and the highest parenting satisfaction.
How many times a week they walked, read, or met friends had no link to better family outcomes. Confidence, not frequency, was the key.
How this fits with other research
Ben-Yehudah et al. (2019) saw the same pattern in autism parents. Being kind to yourself predicted less stress, even if daily habits stayed the same. The two studies are a conceptual replication across FASD and ASD groups.
Wakimizu et al. (2011) adds a twist: Japanese caregivers felt less empowered when they skipped local services. Carson’s work says confidence matters more than action, but Rie hints that using services may still lift empowerment. The papers don’t clash—they look at different slices of caregiver well-being.
Turcotte et al. (2018) shows one in seven autistic students faces school discipline. High caregiver confidence won’t erase those risks, but it may buffer the stress that follows.
Why it matters
Stop counting caregiver yoga sessions. Instead, ask, “How sure are you that you can care for yourself?” If the answer is low, build skill and belief first. A five-minute chat that boosts confidence could drop stress more than a week of scheduled breaks.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Caregivers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have elevated levels of stress, which can negatively impact family functioning and caregivers' mental and physical health. Self-care is a critical resource to address caregivers' stress. AIMS: This study describes strategies and obstacles related to self-care reported by caregivers of children with FASD. It also examines how caregivers' perceived confidence in and frequency of self-care is related to stress, parenting attitudes, and family needs. METHODS & PROCEDURES: Forty-six caregivers of children with FASD identified self-care strategies and obstacles and rated their confidence and frequency of self-care. Additional measures of perceived parenting efficacy, stress, family needs, child behavior, and family demographics were administered. Correlation analyses examined associations between self-care and measures of child and family functioning. RESULTS: Self-care strategies and obstacles were varied. Greater reported confidence in self-care was associated with less parental distress and more satisfaction in the parenting role. Frequency of self-care was positively associated with confidence in self-care but not with any other measure of family functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers use a variety of strategies and face significant obstacles in self-care. Confidence in self-care may be associated with lower stress and greater satisfaction in the parenting role.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103578