Associations Between Parenting Factors and Mental Health Outcomes in Fathers of Children with Autism

Abstract

Families who raise children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have elevated stress levels and overall lower psychological well-being. Mothers raising children with ASD have reported higher levels of depression and parental stress as compared to mothers raising neurotypical (NT) children. Past research has focused on how mothers and the family system are affected by raising a child with ASD but has neglected to focus solely on fathers. The goal of the current study was to examine how fathers' parenting and mental health is impacted by raising a child with ASD. The current study included 111 fathers raising children with ASD. Fathers answered a series of questionnaires pertaining to their well-being, mindfulness, family cohesion, and their perceived parenting ability. Fathers' parenting behaviors were also assessed during an observational family task. Results indicated that fathers' parenting behaviors, and family cohesion significantly predicted fathers' outcomes.