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Review
. 2022 Sep 1:1-23.
doi: 10.1007/s40489-022-00340-8. Online ahead of print.

Stress and Anxiety Among Parents of Transition-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Systematic Review of Interventions and Scales

Rumi Agarwal  1 , Gabriella Wuyke  2 , Utsav Sharma  3 , Shanna L Burke  4 , Melissa Howard  2 , Tan Li  5 , Mariana Sanchez  2 , Elena Bastida  2
Affiliations
Review

Stress and Anxiety Among Parents of Transition-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Systematic Review of Interventions and Scales

Rumi Agarwal et al. Rev J Autism Dev Disord. .

Abstract

The period between adolescence to young adulthood can be stressful for parents of transition-aged children (14 to 22 years old) with autism spectrum disorder. A systematic review was undertaken to examine if existing interventions address the unique parental stressors of this phase and if the scales used to measure parental stress and anxiety are suitable for this group. Of the 9813 studies screened, only 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings indicated that interventions focused on mindfulness, social functioning, or multiple components, of which only two addressed the transition period and only three specifically targeted parents of this age group. Moreover, of the six scales which assessed stress or anxiety, none were designed for these parents. Findings highlight the urgent need for more suitable scales and targeted interventions.

Keywords: Anxiety; Autism; Intervention; Parent; Stress; Transition-aged.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests.

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