depression common in mothers of children with autism, study says

higher symptoms of depression was not linked to increases in children’s behavioural problems, which researchers hope will alleviate some of the guilt many parents feel when addressing mental health concerns.

by dave yasvinski

published aug 29, 2022

last updated aug 30, 2022

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depression common in mothers of children with autism, study says

higher levels of stress are common in families living with autism. getty

a new study has found that half of all mothers of children with autism experience elevated levels of depression. according to the research, published in the journal family process, only around six to 13 per cent of mothers of neurotypical children experienced the same level of depression over the 18-month period of study. despite the increased likelihood of depressive symptoms, however, the study contained a comforting conclusion for parents worried about their child’s future.

“we found mothers’ higher symptoms of depression did not predict increases in children’s behaviour problems over time, including among families with a child with autism who experience a lot of stress,” said danielle roubinov, first author of the study and an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at the university of california, san francisco.

“that was surprising and good news.”

depression in mothers not linked to poor behavioural symptoms in children with autism

although researchers have long been aware of a bidirectional association between maternal depression and a child’s behaviour, few studies have examined the issue in the context of autism, which tends to subject parents to more marital conflict and lower relationship satisfaction, among others challenges. the team was hoping to gain a better understanding of the role a mother’s depression has on a child — and vice versa.

“a stressful family environment may spill over onto family members and could change the ways mothers and children relate to each other,” roubinov said. “we wanted to see whether the link between maternal and child mental health was different in the context of a high-stress family system, such as when a child has autism.”

to arrive at their findings, the team recruited 86 mother-child duos and repeatedly measured maternal depression and their child’s behavioural problems over the course of 18 months. roughly half of the mothers had children with asd and the other half had neurotypical children. the children in the study ranged in age from two to 16 years but three-quarters were elementary age or younger. maternal depression was ascertained using the inventory of depressive symptoms and child behaviour was measured using the child’s challenging behaviour scale.

“we hope these findings will reassure mothers that it’s both common to struggle with some depression in this high-stress situation of chronic caregiving and that their depression likely isn’t making their child’s behavioural issues worse,” roubinov said.

many parents also report high levels of emotional closeness

although higher levels of stress are common in families living with autism, researchers stressed this is not their only defining characteristic.

“many mothers of children with autism also report high levels of emotional closeness and positive interactions with their children,” roubinov said. “these are important experiences that supportive programs can build upon.”

supporting parents of neurodivergent children is complex. previous research has shown that parents who take part in support groups specifically designed for parents of children with autism employ more adaptive coping strategies and generally find the new tactics useful.

all parents in the study were offered mindfulness classes at the conclusion of the study to help them cope with the stresses of raising a child.

“the parents were grateful to share common challenges and learn inner strategies to cope,” said elissa epel, senior author of the study and a professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioural science at ucsf.

“many studies have shown that mindfulness training can help with parenting stress and we also found our parents showed improved mental health. given the effects of chronic stress on health and mood, caregiving parents need extraordinary emotional support in addition to the special services for their child. it’s as vital to provide support for parents’ mental health as it is for children’s mental health.”