Symptom Severity, Internalized and Externalized Behavioral and Emotional Problems: Links with Parenting Stress in Mothers of Children Recently Diagnosed with Autism

Catherine Mello, Mélina Rivard, Diane Morin, Shaneha Patel, Marjorie Morin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

The present study examined which aspects of the child’s behavior and clinical profile accounted for three dimensions of parenting stress: related to parenting roles, to interactions with the child, and to the child. Measures of adaptive behavior, intellectual functioning, autism symptom severity, and challenging behavior and emotional difficulties were examined as predictors of parenting stress in 157 mothers of children recently diagnosed with autism. Children’s emotional problems and aggressive behavior were most predictive of parenting distress, whereas autism symptoms along with emotional problems and aggressive behavior, respectively, were linked to stress pertaining to interactions and to the child. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive and complementary interventions that focus on children’s behavior and symptoms but also on parent adjustment.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2400-2413
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Volume52
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2022

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Symptom Severity, Internalized and Externalized Behavioral and Emotional Problems: Links with Parenting Stress in Mothers of Children Recently Diagnosed with Autism'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this