Expressed Emotions and Stress among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Objective: To determinethe relationship of expressed emotions with stress in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Study design: Cross-sectional study

Place and duration of study: Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Department, University of Child Health Sciences-The Children’s Hospital, Lahore. The study duration was 6 months from June, 2022 to November, 2022.

Patients and Methods: A sample of 79 parents having children with ASD (aged 3-18 years) was collected through purposive sampling technique. Berkeley Expressivity Questionnaire and perceived stress scale were administered to measure emotional expressivity and stress respectively. Demographic questionnaire including age, gender, income, severity of diagnosis, etc. was also administered.

Results: Gender (p<0.05) and age at the time of diagnosis (p<0.05) were positively correlated with stress of parents of children with ASD (p<0.05). Parents having children with moderate ASD (p<0.01) were more stressed than those having children with mild ASD (p<0.01). Mother’s education was a significant negative predictor of stress. Expressed emotions(p<0.05) was positively correlated with stress (p<0.05). Two facets of emotional expressivity i.e., negative expressivity (p <0.05) and impulse strength (p <0.01) were positive predictors of stress. However, no significant relationship was found between positive expressivity and stress.

Conclusion: Mothers of children with ASD had high level of expressed emotions and were stressed. This stress was more in mothers with less education and mothers of children with moderate ASD.