Relationship between parental stress and psychological distress and emotional and behavioural problems in pre-school children with autistic spectrum disorder

Abstract

Introducción: Los Trastornos del Espectro Autista (TEA) se caracterizan por deficiencias generalizadas en la comunicación social, estereotipias e intereses restringidos. Los TEA presentan una alta prevalencia de trastornos psiquiátricos adicionales que empeoran su funcionamiento diario y reducen la calidad de vida de ellos y sus familias. Material y Método: En el esfuerzo de identificar características ambientales que expliquen esta alta comorbilidad, esta investigación se ha centrado en la sintomatología de estrés y malestar psicológico de los padres como posibles factores de riesgo. Se realizó un estudio transversal de asociación entre estrés y malestar psicológico de padres de niños preescolares con TEA (2---6años) y su relación con psicopatología coexistente en niños con TEA. Resultados y Conclusiones: Altos niveles de estrés y malestar psicológico en los padres están asociados ya desde la primera infancia con psicopatología coexistente en dicha población, específicamente con problemas emocionales y conductuales (p < .05). Sin embargo, se necesitan futuros estudios longitudinales para entender mejor la relación causal entre estas variables y su posible relación bidireccional.Introduction: The Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterised by general deficits in social communication, stereotypes, and restricted interests. The ASD have a high prevalence of additional psychiatric disorders that make their daily functioning worse, and reduces their quality of life, as well as that of their families. Material and methods: In an effort to identify the environmental characteristics that may explain this high comorbidity, this study has focused on the symptoms of stress and psycho- logical unease of the parents as possible risk factors. A cross-section study was carried out on the relationship between the stress and psychological unease of the parents of pre-school children (2---6 years) with ASD and its relationship with co-existing psychological conditions in children with ASD. Results and Conclusions: High levels of stress and psychological unease in the parents are already associated, since early childhood, with a co-existing psychological condition in that population, specifically with emotional and behavioural problems (P.05). However, further lon- gitudinal studies are needed for a better understanding of the causal relationship between these variables and their possible bidirectional relationship.