1.	Neuropsychiatric disorders and parental stress during the covid-19 pandemic: an Italian retrospective longitudinal study

Aim: The objective of our study is to evaluate the impact that the COVID-19 emergency and the related measures adopted have had on the family management of minors with neuropsychiatric disorders. Another objective of this study is to carry out a first longitudinal evaluation of this impact on parental stress, comparing the data collected before the pandemic with those collected during the lockdown. Methods: This is an observational study that involved 271 families of patients already treated at the Child Neuropsychiatry Unit of the Salerno University Hospital between 2 and 23 years (112 with Autism Spectrum Disorder, 86 with epilepsy and 73 with other disorders of neurodevelopment). All participants were given an ad hoc telephone interview and a standardized questionnaire (PSI - Parenting Stress Index-Short Form). The telephone interview showed that a significant percentage of parents reported an increase in their child's daily management difficulties during the lock-down and emotional / behavioral problems, in particular the externalizing disorder. Comparison of the mean scores of the PSI-SF questionnaires completed before and during the lockdown showed a statistically significant increase in scores in the Total Stress scale and in the Parental Distress subscales. Results & Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that the confinement measures and changes in daily routine imposed by quarantine negatively affected the behavioral and emotional dimensions of both children and parents causing a significant increase in parental stress, which is mainly related to feelings of inadequacy in relation to their role in such a delicate situation, and concern for the future.

Download Full-text

Examining the impact of emotional and behavioral problems on parenting stress in mothers of children with autism in Mongolia

Proceedings of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences ◽

10.5564/pmas.v60i3.1425 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 48-58

Author(s):

Bulganzaya Tumurbaatar ◽

Baigalmaa Chuluunbaatar

Keyword(s):

Parenting Stress ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Short Form ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽

Stress Index ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Bivariate Correlation ◽

The Impact

The present study examined the effects of emotional and behavioral problems on parenting stress among mothers of children with autism in Mongolia. The hypothesis is that if children with autism presented more problems on their emotional and behavioral aspects, the higher parenting stress perceived among the mother of children with autism. The convenience sample of the study was composed of 62 mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder. The present study used the Parenting Stress Index-Short form (PSI/SF) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which are translated into Mongolian language by research team. Using the current sample of mothers of children with autism, Cronbach`s alpha coefficients of PSI/SF-M was 0.94 and SDQ-M was 0.62 for our sample. Bivariate correlation between the variables measuring difficulties of child and parenting stress revealed the existence of small to moderate correlations between SDQ subscales and PSI/SF subscales. PSI/SF total score and SDQ total score are correlated significantly at 0.35 (p=0.01). Difficult child subscale is correlated mild to moderate with SDQ total score (0.53), emotional symptoms (0.37), hyperactivity/inattention (0.35) and conduct problem (0.50) in positive way. Strong correlations were found between subscales of PSI/SF (0.67-0.89). The result of multiple regression analysis indicated that in addition with emotional and behavioral problems of children, income sufficiency of household and social support variables is significantly associated with parenting stress of mothers.

Download Full-text

Mindfulness-based wellbeing for socio-economically disadvantaged parents: a pre-post pilot study

Journal of Children s Services ◽

10.1108/jcs-09-2014-0040 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 17-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Catrin Eames ◽

Rebecca Crane ◽

Eluned Gold ◽

Sophie Pratt

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Parental Stress ◽

Economically Disadvantaged ◽

Short Form ◽

Small Sample ◽

Stress Index ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Content Type ◽

Mindfulness Skills ◽

The Impact

Purpose – Behavioural parent training (PT) interventions partially mediate risk factors for the development of child behavioural problems. Mindfulness skills could have benefit in alleviating the impact of these risk factors for parents who are socio-economically disadvantaged. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A pre-post single group comparison of disadvantaged mothers attending the Mindfulness-Based Wellbeing for Parents (MBW-P) programme. Findings – Changes were observed in facets of parental stress (Parenting Stress Index-Short Form; Abidin, 1995), depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II; Beck et al., 1996) and brooding (Ruminative Responses Scale; Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow, 1991), with moderate to large effect sizes and incidences of clinical change. Research limitations/implications – The research design, although pragmatic, includes a small sample and no control or long-term comparison group. Social implications – Mothers considered as the “hardest to reach” group in terms of vulnerability, risk factors and being likely to gain from intervention demonstrated positive shifts post-intervention. A targeted mindfulness-based intervention, delivered pragmatically within a health service context, may have benefit in reducing the impact of risk factors on parental wellbeing. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first evaluation of a targeted mindfulness group delivered within routine health care settings, in identified “high risk” areas, by routine staff.

Download Full-text

Parental Stress and Disability in Offspring: A Snapshot during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11081040 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1040

Author(s):

Martina Siracusano ◽

Assia Riccioni ◽

Leonardo Emberti Gialloreti ◽

Eugenia Segatori ◽

Lucrezia Arturi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parental Stress ◽

Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽

Short Form ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Self Report ◽

Stress Index ◽

Sotos Syndrome ◽

Typical Development ◽

Genetic Syndromes ◽

Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

Parenting a child with a disability, such as neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic syndromes, implies a high level of stress. During the COVID-19 outbreak—as a period implying additional challenges—few studies have specifically investigated caregivers’ distress among neurodevelopmental disabilities. The objective of the study is to investigate whether during the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of parental stress differs between four disability groups including neurodevelopmental disorders (autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)) and genetic syndromes (Rett syndrome (RTT), Sotos syndrome (SS)) in comparison to families with typical development offspring (TD). In total, 220 Italian parents of children affected by neurodevelopmental disabilities (74 ASD, 51 ADHD, 34 SS, 21 RTT, 40 TD; age M 9.4 ± SD 4.2) underwent a standardized evaluation for stress related to parenting through the self-report questionnaire, Parental Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF). The main findings show greater levels of parental stress—mainly linked to child behavioral characteristics rather than parental sense of competence—in parents of children affected by a disability in comparison to children with typical development. This study highlights the need to support not only individuals with special needs but also their own caregivers: core figures in the management and outcome of children disorders.

Download Full-text

Pediatric Chronic Migraine Severity and Maternal Stress

Pediatric Reports ◽

10.3390/pediatric13040068 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 576-582

Author(s):

Daniela Smirni ◽

Marco Carotenuto

Keyword(s):

Parental Stress ◽

Maternal Stress ◽

Short Form ◽

Primary Headache ◽

Well Being ◽

Stress Index ◽

School Aged Children ◽

Pediatric Migraine ◽

Being There ◽

The Impact

Primary headache is an increasing phenomenon in pediatric age, and very often, it causes disabling limitations in children’s daily activities, negatively affecting family well-being. There are conflicting data in the literature on the impact of children’s migraines on parental experienced stress. This study aimed to evaluate maternal stress in a sample of school-aged children with a migraine without aura (MwoA) and its correlation with migraine intensity and frequency. A total of 474 mothers aged between 31 and 55 participated in the study: 237 were mothers of children with MwoA, and 237 were mothers of typical developing children. All participants were administered the Parent Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) for the assessment of parental stress; the Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment (PedMIDAS) was administered to children with MwoA to assess the presence of a related disability migraine. The results showed a significantly higher rate of stress in mothers of MwoA children (p < 0.001) in all the domains explored by the PSI-SF and a statistically significant correlation between the maternal stress total score and the intensity and frequency of migraine attacks (p < 0.0001). This study highlights the need for the holistic contribution of the family to be considered in the clinical management of pediatric migraines.

Download Full-text

Contextual Factors Impact the Variability in ADHD Symptoms in Preschoolers with Situational Hyperactivity

Journal of Attention Disorders ◽

10.1177/1087054720938864 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 108705472093886

Author(s):

Shoou-Lian Hwang-Gu ◽

Hsing-Chang Ni ◽

Sophie Hsin-Yi Liang ◽

Hsiang-Yuan Lin ◽

Li Tsao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Problems ◽

Parental Stress ◽

Attentional Control ◽

Performance Test ◽

Short Form ◽

Flanker Task ◽

Stress Index ◽

Adhd Symptoms ◽

Contextual Risk ◽

Parenting Perceptions

Objective: This study examined preschoolers with teacher-reported or parent-reported situational hyperactivity, and whether they differed in terms of behavioral problems, attentional problems, and parenting perceptions. Method: We used the Conners’ Kiddie Continuous Performance Test and the Color Flanker Task to assess 99 preschoolers with pervasive high-ADHD-symptoms (42), school-situational high-ADHD-symptoms (30), or home-situational high-ADHD-symptoms (27), plus 111 preschoolers with pervasive low-ADHD-symptoms. Parents and teachers reported externalizing/internalizing behavioral problems. Parenting perceptions were measured with the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form and a parenting perceptions scale. Results: Preschoolers with school-situational high-ADHD-symptoms had deficits in attentional control. Parents of preschoolers with home-situational high-ADHD-symptoms had higher levels of parental stress and perceived their parenting to be harsher. Preschoolers with pervasive high-ADHD-symptoms had deficits in attentional control, increased parental stress, and parents with harsher parenting perceptions. Conclusion: Preschoolers with situational high-ADHD-symptoms may have different contextual risk factors related to ADHD symptoms reported by parents versus teachers.

Download Full-text

Couple satisfaction and parenting stress in parents of children with ASD

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.1193 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. S685-S685

Author(s):

V. Guerriero ◽

I. Fioravanti ◽

M. Petrillo ◽

M. Di Renzo ◽

G.C. Zavattini

Keyword(s):

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Parenting Stress ◽

Parental Stress ◽

Short Form ◽

Positive Influence ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Dyadic Adjustment ◽

Stress Index ◽

Couple Satisfaction ◽

Couple Adjustment

IntroductionLiterature on parents’ adjustment in families with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children highlights on one hand that raising a child with ASD represent a higher stressful experience comparing to families of children with other disabilities and families of children with typical development. On the other hand, a recent systematic review on relationship satisfaction of these parents stressed the very lower levels of couple satisfaction in parents raising a child with ASD. Give that, the aim of this study is to investigate the association between relationship satisfaction and parental stress in a sample of parents of ASD children.Method70 parents were recruited (34 = M and 36 = F) to sign the following self-reports: Parenting stress index-short-form (PSI-SF), to assess stress relative to parental role, and dyadic adjustment scale (DAS), to assess couple satisfaction.ResultsThe analysis showed no differences between mothers and fathers respect to investigated variables. Negative correlations between almost all subscales of the PSI-SF and the subscales of DAS emerged. Moreover, from the regression analysis performed, it can be concluded that the values of the total score of the DAS predicts the PSI-SF total score.ConclusionsIn accordance with and building on the achievements of previous studies, these data illustrate a positive influence of couple adjustment on parental stress in parents of ASD children, supporting the hypothesis that relationship satisfaction emerge as a protective variables in the process of parental adaptation.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Download Full-text

Parental stress in autistic parents: The counseling effects

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.1504 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. s787-s787

Author(s):

R. Ferrara ◽

M. Esposito

Keyword(s):

Parental Stress ◽

Short Form ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Stress Index ◽

Control Group ◽

Parental Distress ◽

Counseling Intervention ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Treatment Centre ◽

Competing Interest

IntroductionIn parents of autistic children there are high levels of stress. For parents, counseling can help them face the world of autism through the many stressors they experiment.ObjectivesTo evidence a possible effect of the counseling intervention on parental stress.MethodsThe sample consisted of 24 parents (mean age = 38.7) of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder related to the treatment centre “Una breccia nel muro”. Parents’ group was randomly divided into two subgroups, the first (EG experimental group) consists in 12 parents, which were included in a counseling treatment of six months (one meeting of 2 hours every 15 days), while the other subgroup parents, (CG control group) were not included. We used parenting stress index–short form (PSI-SF) before counseling intervention (T0) and after (T1) with every parent. PSI values stress level in following scales: parental distress (PD), parent-child dysfunctional interaction (PCDI) and difficult child characteristics (DC). Figure 1 shows all the variables in each group at T0 and T1.ResultsThen a 2-tail t-test was separately carried out for each group (Counseling Yes; Counseling No). Counseling Yes: PD (t22 = .70, P = .49); PCDI (t22 = .72, P = .47); DC (t22 = 2.23, P = .03); Tot Stress (t22 = 1.04, P = .3). Counseling No: PD (t22 = .82, P = .42); PCDI (t22 = 1.7, P = .09); DC (t22 = .59, P = .56); Tot Stress (t22 = .72, P = .48)ConclusionsOur data confirm the positive effects of counseling especially on the difficulties related to children (DC scale).Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Download Full-text

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Adaptive Functioning, Behavioral Problems, and Repetitive Behaviors of Italian Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Observational Study

Children ◽

10.3390/children8020096 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 96

Author(s):

Martina Siracusano ◽

Eugenia Segatori ◽

Assia Riccioni ◽

Leonardo Emberti Gialloreti ◽

Paolo Curatolo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Adaptive Functioning ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Repetitive Behaviors ◽

Assessment System ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Adaptive Skills ◽

The Impact

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families have represented a fragile population on which the extreme circumstances of the COVID-19 outbreak may have doubly impaired. Interruption of therapeutical interventions delivered in-person and routine disruption constituted some of the main challenges they had to face. This study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on adaptive functioning, behavioral problems, and repetitive behaviors of children with ASD. In a sample of 85 Italian ASD children (mean age 7 years old; 68 males, 17 females), through a comparison with a baseline evaluation performed during the months preceding COVID-19, we evaluated whether after the compulsory home confinement any improvement or worsening was reported by parents of ASD individuals using standardized instruments (Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (Second Edition), Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist, Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised). No significant worsening in the adaptive functioning, problematic, and repetitive behaviors emerged after the compulsory home confinement. Within the schooler children, clinical stability was found in reference to both adaptive skills and behavioral aspects, whereas within preschoolers, a significant improvement in adaptive skills emerged and was related to the subsistence of web-delivered intervention, parental work continuance, and online support during the lockdown.

Download Full-text

Commercial Exergaming in Home-Based Pediatric Constraint-Induced Therapy: A Randomized Trial

OTJR Occupation Participation and Health ◽

10.1177/1539449220984110 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 153944922098411

Author(s):

Tien-Ni Wang ◽

Yu-Lun Chen ◽

Jeng-Yi Shieh ◽

Hao-Ling Chen

Keyword(s):

Parental Stress ◽

Short Form ◽

Self Care ◽

Stress Index ◽

Dose Equivalent ◽

Nintendo Wii ◽

Home Based ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Motor Outcomes ◽

Psychosocial Benefits

Constraint-induced therapy (CIT) is highly effective yet not accessible to many families. Integrating commercial exergaming in home-based CIT may support the availability and attainability of the intervention. The study compared the effects of supplementary use of Nintendo Wii in home-based CIT with dose-equivalent conventional CIT. Eighteen children with cerebral palsy were randomly assigned to 8 weeks of CIT (CIT) or 4 weeks of CIT, followed by 4 weeks of Wii-augmented CIT (CIT-Wii). Outcome measures included the Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (Manual Dexterity), the ABILHAND-Kids, the WeeFIM (Self-Care), the Test of Playfulness, the Engagement Questionnaire, and the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form. Both groups significantly improved motor outcomes and playfulness. The CIT group demonstrated greater improvement in self-care skills, whereas parental stress decreased only in the CIT-Wii group. CIT-Wii yields no significant difference in treatment effects from conventional CIT and may provide psychosocial benefits.

Download Full-text