Effective parental coping strategies in families of children with autism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5377/ul.v16i2.20472Keywords:
Stress, Parenting, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Behavioral Symptoms, Coping StrategiesAbstract
Introduction: stress in parents of children with autism represents a complex and difficult adaptation process; a situation that leads to feeling overwhelmed by the demands attributed to the care of the child, affecting all psychosocial dimensions. Objective: to analyze the relationship between the child's behavioral symptoms and stress coping strategies in parents of children with autism in an early stimulation center in Nicaragua. Material and methods: analytical study, nested case-control study, with a sample of 300 parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Contingency tables were used to compare the variables of interest with the statistical tests of chi-square, OR, with 95% confidence interval. Results: prevalence of stress (61%) was determined. According to the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale - Second Edition (GARS- 2), the symptom of avoiding eye contact was statistically significant (P: 0.000; OR: 3.01). The absence of humor was the coping strategy that duplicated the presence of stress (P: 0.016; OR: 2.243). Conclusions: the application of humor stands out as a relevant coping strategy among parents. Parents employ a variety of coping strategies such as planning, instrumental support, emotional support, self-distraction, behavioral disengagement and positive reinterpretation to favor the preparedness of the nuclear family.
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