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. 2024 Jun 10;12(1):339.
doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-01704-x.

Depression and parental distress among caregivers of autistic children: a serial mediator analysis in caregivers of autistic children

Dilara Demirpençe Seçinti  1 , Dilan Diş  2 , Zeynep Seda Albayrak  3 , Ezgi Şen  2
Affiliations

Depression and parental distress among caregivers of autistic children: a serial mediator analysis in caregivers of autistic children

Dilara Demirpençe Seçinti et al. BMC Psychol. .

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the severity of autism, emotional and behavioral problems of autistic children, internalized stigma, depressive symptoms, and primary caregiver parental stress. Specifically, we explored the mediating role of internal stigmatization and total difficulties of individuals with autism on parenting stress and depressive symptoms of the primary caregiver.

Method: Mothers of 93 children with autism were included in the study. The mothers were given the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI), the Autism Behavior Checklist, the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, Strength, and Difficulties Questionnaire -Parent Form (SDQ-P).

Results: As a result of our study, the emotional and behavioral problems of the child and the internalized stigmatization felt by the parent played a mediator role in the relationship between the child's autism severity and the parent's stress and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: Our findings highlight that internalized stigmatization and behavioral characteristics of individuals with autism are among the most critical problems for their primary caregivers. These results have important implications for the development of interventions aimed at reducing the internalized stigma experienced by primary caregivers of individuals with autism and for improving their mental health outcomes.

Keywords: Autistic children; Depression; Parental distress; Stigmatization.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
1Covariates are represented by dashed lines and were controlled for in all mediational pathways; SDQ: Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire; ABC: Autism Behavior Checklist; ISMI-TR: Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale Turkish Version; BDI: Beck Depression Inventory. (Significant in all correlations *p<0.05, **p<0.01)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
1Covariates are represented by dashed lines and were controlled for in all mediational pathways; SDQ: Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire; ABC: Autism Behavior Checklist; ISMI-TR: Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale Turkish Version; PSI: Parenting Stress Index. (Significant in all correlations *p<0.05, **p<0.01)
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