Parent stress and coping trajectories in Hispanic and non-Hispanic families of children at risk of autism spectrum disorder

Hickey, Emily; Stransky, Michelle L.; Kuhn, Jocelyn; Rosenberg, Jessica; Cabral, Howard; Weitzman, Carol; Broder‐Fingert, Sarabeth; Feinberg, Emily

doi:10.1177/13623613211001611

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…Notably, coping strategies may have differential effects among parents caring for autistic children and, therefore, cannot be inherently positive or negative (Folkman et al, 1986). Leading scholars have argued for the need to consider the effects of coping strategies within one’s context, such as culture, race, and ethnicity (Hannon, 2017; Hickey et al, 2021; Skinner et al, 2003). Despite emerging evidence on coping strategies among caregivers of autistic children, Black families remain significantly underrepresented in research (Shaia et al, 2019).…”

Section: Exploring Coping Strategies For Parental Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

The creator did not give me more than I can handle: Exploring coping in parents of Black autistic children

Lewis

Dababnah

Hollie

et al. 2022

Autism

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There is a paucity of studies that center on the lived experiences of Black families raising autistic children, and major gaps remain in our understanding of how parents of Black autistic children cope with stressors. Drawing from the Black family stress and coping model, this mixed-methods study explored coping strategies utilized by parents of Black autistic children. Twenty-two parents completed the Ways of Coping Questionnaire and participated in semi-structured interviews. Using grounded theory methods, we conducted data collection and analyses simultaneously until we did not identify new themes. Our quantitative and qualitative results were generally aligned. We found that parents used an array of coping strategies, at times combining different methods, to address complex stressors. Parents also expressed the need for more social support from providers, as well as a desire for inclusive spaces where they could engage with other parents whom they felt could better relate to the stressors they encountered. Study findings also suggest that kinship support, church involvement, and collective socialization are key protective factors in Black communities. Therefore, understanding the role culture plays in the use and effectiveness of coping strategies is essential to improving healthcare and other systems of care. Lay abstract Parents of Black autistic children use several strategies to cope with daily stressors. These strategies include seeking social support, self-care, and optimism. We asked parents about their experiences receiving treatment services for their autistic child and how they reduce parenting stress. Twenty-two parents completed a coping survey and participated in individual interviews. Few studies have explored the experiences of Black families raising autistic children, and it’s important for healthcare and other systems of care to understand the role culture, race, and ethnicity play in the use of coping strategies. In our study, the majority of parents relied on social support to relieve stress and identified partners, family, and community members, as their most useful sources of support. Connecting with other parents of autistic children, through support groups and social media, also helped parents relieve stress. Parents discussed using self-care activities (e.g. church, exercising, listening to music) to cope with stressors. Several parents described how prayer and meditation helped them reframe stressful situations and gain more patience and appreciation for “what’s important.” The findings of this work demonstrate the need for professionals to have ongoing and deeper conversations about the ways in which parents deal with stressors. In particular, clinicians should leverage the strengths of Black families and promote strategies that are culturally informed and engaged.

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Section: Exploring Coping Strategies For Parental Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

The creator did not give me more than I can handle: Exploring coping in parents of Black autistic children

Lewis

Dababnah

Hollie

et al. 2022

Autism

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“…They report that criticism (of mis-parenting or the parent causing the child's delay) from close friends or family was a clinically significant stressor for caregivers. Although there is limited and mixed information on the mental health of Latinx parents of children with DD (Hickey et al, 2021), the literature shows evidence of elevated levels of distress and pathology among Latinx caregivers of children with DD (DesChamps et al, 2020; Long et al, 2015; Mercado et al, 2020; Neece et al, 2019;).…”

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confidence: 99%

Familism and Parenting Stress in Latinx Caregivers of Young Children with Developmental Delays

et al. 2021

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Several studies have documented the difficult experience of raising a child with a developmental delay (DD; DeGrace et al., 2014) but the majority of research has focused on non-Latinx White families and their experiences in childrearing and interacting with service providers (Hayes & Watson, 2013; Blanche et al., 2015). Additionally, stigma associated with mental illness and DD disproportionally affects Latinx communities (Burke et al., 2019). Familism plays a unique role among families of Latinx backgrounds (Moore, 1970; Coohey, 2001) and may act as a buffer to caregiver mental health. The current study aims to (1) determine the association between affiliate stigma and parenting stress among Latinx parents of young children with DD and (2) test whether familism moderates the relationship between affiliate stigma and parenting stress. Results revealed that the relationship between affiliate stigma and parenting stress was strongest in caregivers who reported low levels of familism, suggesting that familism may act as a buffer. More research is needed to further unpack the protective factors of familism on caregiver mental health.

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“…A small amount of evidence indicates that Black parents of Head Start preschoolers do not experience elevated parenting stress relative to a norm-referenced sample (i.e., mean parenting stress at the 45 th percentile; Reitman et al, 2002). In the period following a positive screen for developmental concerns, Hispanic families from the same dataset as the present study reported lower levels of parenting stress and less frequent use of coping strategies than non-Hispanic families who were predominantly (79.4%) Black (Hickey et al, 2021).…”

Section: Representation Of Low-income Families and Racially And Ethni...mentioning

confidence: 57%

“…This may signal differences in experienced stress, increased protective factors related to parenting stress, and/or reduced self-reported stress among the low-income and U.S. racially and ethnically diverse communities represented in our sample, combined with general increases in stress among parents of children with developmental delays and disabilities. Along these lines, Valicenti-McDermott et al (2015) and Hickey et al (2021) previously found that Hispanic parents of children with developmental disabilities or risk of developmental delays reported significantly lower parenting stress than non-Hispanic parents. Investigators in these prior studies were similarly unable to explain whether this difference was due to true resilience, differences in self-reporting in this domain, or differences in child functioning levels.…”

Section: Research Question 4: Exploratory Differences Between Familie...mentioning

confidence: 91%

Parenting Stress, Child Social Functioning, and Part C Early Intervention in Predominantly Low-Income Families of Children With or at High Risk for Developmental Delay From Minoritized Racial and Ethnic Groups

Kuhn

Hickey

Lindly

et al. 2023

Journal of Early Intervention

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In this study, the relationships between child social functioning, parenting stress, and Part C Early Intervention (EI) enrollment were examined in 227 ethnically and racially diverse, low-income families of 15- to 27-month-old children. All toddlers in the sample were identified with or at high risk for developmental delay via universal screening in primary care; 41.4% were enrolled in EI at the time of study data collection and 83.3% ultimately enrolled in EI before turning 3 years old. Generalized linear mixed model results indicated no direct relationship between EI enrollment and parenting stress, but a significant inverse association was found between child social functioning and parenting stress (β = −0.61, p = .005) that was moderated by EI enrollment ( p < .001). This suggests potential benefits of timely referral and access to EI for families of children at risk of developmental delay in historically underserved communities. Furthermore, exploratory bivariate analyses indicated that clinically elevated parenting stress related to higher worry about the child’s development and higher M-CHAT-R/F scores; EI enrollment was related to parents not working outside the home, older age of both parent and child, and lower child social functioning level.

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Parent stress and coping trajectories in Hispanic and non-Hispanic families of children at risk of autism spectrum disorder

Cited by 7 publications

References 83 publications

The creator did not give me more than I can handle: Exploring coping in parents of Black autistic children

The creator did not give me more than I can handle: Exploring coping in parents of Black autistic children

Familism and Parenting Stress in Latinx Caregivers of Young Children with Developmental Delays

Parenting Stress, Child Social Functioning, and Part C Early Intervention in Predominantly Low-Income Families of Children With or at High Risk for Developmental Delay From Minoritized Racial and Ethnic Groups

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