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. 2025 Jun 28.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-025-06887-9. Online ahead of print.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Child Problem Behaviors and Parental Burnout in Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Xiaoli Liao  1 , Tuanmei Wang  2 , Jing Tian  3 , Hao Xie  3
Affiliations

A Cross-Sectional Study of Child Problem Behaviors and Parental Burnout in Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Xiaoli Liao et al. J Autism Dev Disord. .

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the relationship between parental burnout and child problem behaviors, focusing on the mediating role of parent-child relationship and the moderating role of family resilience among parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). A cross-sectional study was conducted with convenience sampling, recruiting parents of children diagnosed with NDDs from pediatric and rehabilitation departments in public tertiary hospitals in Changsha City, Hunan Province, China, from December 2023 to July 2024. Data were gathered through structured questionnaires assessing parental burnout, child problem behaviors, parent-child relationship, and family resilience. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple regression, mediation analysis, and moderation analysis. A total of 341 parents participated, primarily with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delays (DD). Parental burnout positively correlated with child behavior difficulties (r = 0.157, p < 0.01) and parent-child conflict (r = 0.391, p < 0.01), while negatively correlating with child behavior strengths (r=-0.471, p < 0.01), parent-child intimacy (r=-0.487, p < 0.01), and family resilience (r=-0.476, p < 0.01). Multiple regression identified child behavior strengths, parent-child intimacy, and family resilience as significant negative predictors of parental burnout. Mediation and moderation analyses confirmed that parent-child dynamics and family resilience influenced the relationship between child behavior strengths and parental burnout. These findings highlight the complexities of parental burnout among families with NDDs and emphasize the importance of addressing child behaviors, enhancing parent-child relationships, and fostering family resilience in support interventions.

Keywords: Family resilience; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Parent-child relationship; Parental burnout.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical Approval: This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University (Reference No: Kuai 23772). All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards set forth in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its subsequent amendments, or equivalent ethical guidelines. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there are no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this manuscript.

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