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Predictors of Caregiver Strain for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face higher levels of caregiver strain compared to parents of children with other disabilities. This study examined child clinical features that predict high levels of caregiver strain for 374 parents of children with ASD. Caregiver strain was measured using the Caregiver Strain Questionnaire (CGSQ) objective, subjective internalized, and subjective externalized subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an acceptable fit for the original CGSQ three-factor solution. The strongest child predictors across CGSQ subscales were: disruptive behavior for objective strain, autism severity and disruptive behavior for subjective internalized strain, and oppositional behavior and hyperactivity for subjective externalized strain. Individualized interventions that attend to specific elements of parental strain may reduce strain and improve family wellbeing.

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Funding

This research was supported in part by Grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (Grant Nos. R01MH081148, R01MH083707, R01MH83739, R01MH083747, R01MH86927, K23MH120476), the National Center for Research Resources, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, and the Marcus Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Carolina, 1800 Gervais St., Columbia, SC, 29201, USA

    Jessica Bradshaw

  2. Emory-Children’s-Georgia Tech Pediatric Research Alliance, 2015 Uppergate Drive, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Scott Gillespie & Courtney McCracken

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Benioff Children’s Hospitals, University of California San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Ave., Suite LP 358, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0984, USA

    Bryan H. King

  4. Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA

    James T. McCracken

  5. Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, EC-10 Cleveland Clinic, 9501 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA

    Cynthia R. Johnson

  6. Nisonger Center, Ohio State University, 1581 Dodd Dr #357, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Luc Lecavalier

  7. University of Rochester Medical Center School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA

    Tristram Smith

  8. Indiana University Riley Hospital for Children, 705 Riley Hospital Dr #4300, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Naomi Swiezy

  9. Seattle Children’s Autism Center and Research Institute, 4909 25th Avenue, Northeast, Seattle, Washington, 98105, USA

    Karen Bearss

  10. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, 1959 Northeast Pacific Street, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Karen Bearss

  11. Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, 2608 Erwin Rd, Suite 300, Durham, NC, 27705, USA

    Linmarie Sikich

  12. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, 1 Medical Center Dr, Lebanon, NH, 03766, USA

    Craig Donnelly

  13. Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Psychiatric Research Institute at Montefiore-Einstein, 1225 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    Eric Hollander

  14. Lurie Center for Autism, 1 Maguire Rd, Lexington, MA, 02421, USA

    Christopher J. McDougle

  15. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA

    Christopher J. McDougle

  16. Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

    Christopher J. McDougle

  17. Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 2015 Uppergate Dr, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Lawrence Scahill

  18. Marcus Autism Center, 1920 Briarcliff Rd., Atlanta, GA, 30324, USA

    Lawrence Scahill

Authors
  1. Jessica Bradshaw
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  2. Scott Gillespie
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  3. Courtney McCracken
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  4. Bryan H. King
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  6. Cynthia R. Johnson
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  7. Luc Lecavalier
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  8. Tristram Smith
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  9. Naomi Swiezy
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  10. Karen Bearss
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  11. Linmarie Sikich
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  12. Craig Donnelly
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  13. Eric Hollander
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  14. Christopher J. McDougle
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  15. Lawrence Scahill
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Data analysis was performed by SG and CM. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Lawrence Scahill.

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Bradshaw, J., Gillespie, S., McCracken, C. et al. Predictors of Caregiver Strain for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 3039–3049 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04625-x

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