Abstract
Objective: This study is aimed at examining the prevalence of anxiety and depression among parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and identifying potential influencing factors.
Method: A total of 411 children diagnosed with ASD and their parents were enrolled from the Department of Developmental Behavior at the Affiliated Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine between January and July 2022. Data on the mental health (specifically depression and anxiety) of these parents and the severity of ASD symptoms in their children were collected. Multiple linear regression was utilized to analyze the relationships between the mental health of the parents and factors such as psychological resilience (internal), demographic data, and the severity of ASD symptoms (external).
Results: Psychological resilience was identified as the most significant predictor of both depression and anxiety among the parents, surpassing the impacts of demographic variables or the severity of the children's symptoms (p<0.001). Furthermore, gender differences were found to significantly influence anxiety levels (p<0.05), while marital status was shown to have a noticeable impact on depression (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Attention to the mental well-being of parents with ASD children and enhancement of their psychological resilience are suggested to significantly improve the family's quality of life. This support is also indicated to facilitate better societal integration for children with autism.