SpringerLink
Log in

Child Autism Spectrum Disorder Traits and Parenting Stress: The Utility of Using a Physiological Measure of Parental Stress

  • S.I. : Parenting Children with ASD
  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report greater stress due to unique parenting demands (e.g.; Estes et al. in Brain Dev 35(2):133–138, 2013). Stress is often studied through self-report and has not been extensively studied using physiological measures. This study compared parenting stress in mothers of children with and without ASD traits. Twenty-seven mother–child dyads participated in an interaction task while measuring mother’s heart rate variability (HRV) and mothers self-reported stress levels. Results demonstrated that while self-report and physiological stress measures were not correlated, ASD symptomology did account for HRV change score (i.e., more severe ASD symptoms were positively related to HRV change). This may reflect an atypical co** response. Implications for using physiological indicators for studying parenting stress are explored.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Canada)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Though there are other frequencies of HRV, in the present paper we will refer to parasympathetically mediated high-frequency HRV simply as HRV.

References

  • Abidin, R. R. (2012). Parenting stress index, fourth edition: Professional manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, J. J., Chambers, A. S., & Towers, D. N. (2007). The many metrics of cardiac chronotropy: A pragmatic primer and a brief comparison of metrics. Biological Psychology, 74(2), 243–262.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Allen, N., Kuppens, P., & Sheeber, L. (2012). Heart rate responses to parental behavior in depressed adolescents. Biological Psychology, 90(1), 80–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2012.02.013.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, G. M. (2015). Autism biomarkers: Challenges, pitfalls and possibilities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(4), 1103–1113.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Appelhans, B. M., & Luecken, L. J. (2006). Heart rate variability as an index of regulated emotional responding. Review of General Psychology, 10(3), 229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Auyeung, B., Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., & Allison, C. (2008). The autism spectrum quotient: Children’s version (AQ-child). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(7), 1230–1240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0504-z.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berntson, G. G., Cacioppo, J. T., Quigley, K. S., & Fabro, V. T. (1994). Autonomic space and psychophysiological responses. Psychophysiology, 31, 44–61.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Constantino, J. N., & Gruber, C. P. (2012). Social responsiveness scale (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, N. O., & Carter, A. S. (2008). Parenting stress in mothers and fathers of toddlers with autism spectrum disorders: Associations with child characteristics. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(7), 1278–1291.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, M. E., Burbine, T., Bowers, C. A., & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (2001). Moderators of stress in parents of children with autism. Community Mental Health Journal, 37(1), 39–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Estes, A., Olson, E., Sullivan, K., Greenson, J., Winter, J., Dawson, G., et al. (2013). Parenting-related stress and psychological distress in mothers of toddlers with autism spectrum disorders. Brain and Development, 35(2), 133–138.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fabes, R. A., & Eisenberg, N. (1997). Regulatory control and adults’ stress-related responses to daily life events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 1107–1117.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foody, C., James, J. E., & Leader, G. (2015). Parenting stress, salivary biomarkers, and ambulatory blood pressure: A comparison between mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(4), 1084–1095.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher, S., Phillips, A. C., Drayson, M. T., & Carroll, D. (2009). Parental caregivers of children with developmental disabilities mount a poor antibody response to pneumococcal vaccination. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 23(3), 338–346.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gamelin, F. X., Berthoin, S., & Bosquet, L. (2006). Validity of the polar S810 heart rate monitor to measure R–R intervals at rest. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 38, 887–893.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldani, A. A., Downs, S. R., Widjaja, F., Lawton, B., & Hendren, R. L. (2014). Biomarkers in autism. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 5, 100.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Goodie, J. L., Larkin, K. T., & Schauss, S. (2000). Validation of the Polar heart rate monitor for assessing heart rate during physical and mental stress. Journal of Psychophysiology, 14, 159–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gulsrud, A. C., Jahromi, L. B., & Kasari, C. (2010). The co-regulation of emotions between mothers and their children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40(2), 227–237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-009-0861-x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, P., Taylor, R., Thielke, R., Payne, J., Gonzalez, N., & Conde, J. (2009). Research electronic data capture (REDCap)—A metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support. Journal of Biomedical Information, 42(2), 377–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hastings, P. D., Nuselovici, J. N., Utendale, W. T., Coutya, J., McShane, K. E., & Sullivan, C. (2008). Applying the polyvagal theory to children’s emotion regulation: Social context, socialization, and adjustment. Biological Psychology, 79(3), 299–306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2008.07.005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hastings, R., & Taunt, H. (2002). Positive perceptions in families of children with developmental disabilities. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 107(2), 116–127.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heim, C., Ehlert, U., & Hellhammer, D. H. (2000). The potential role of hypocortisolism in the pathophysiology of stress-related bodily disorders. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 25(1), 1–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holroyd, K. A., & Lazarus, R. S. (1982). Stress, co**, and somatic adaptation. In L. Goldberg & S. Breznitz (Eds.), Handbook of stress: Theoretical and clinical aspects (pp. 21–35). New York: The Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, J. L., & Rapee, R. M. (2001). Parent–child interactions and anxiety disorders: An observational study. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 39(12), 1411–1427.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huffman, L. C., Bryan, Y. E., Carmen, R., Pedersen, F. A., Doussard-Roosevelt, J. A., & Forges, S. W. (1998). Infant temperament and cardiac vagal tone: Assessments at twelve weeks of age. Child Development, 69(3), 624–635. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.00624.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hurley, R. S. E., Losh, M., Parlier, M., Reznick, J. S., & Piven, J. (2007). The broad autism phenotype questionnaire. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(9), 1679–1690. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0299-3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ingersoll, B., & Hambrick, D. Z. (2011). The relationship between the broader autism phenotype, child severity, and stress and depression in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(1), 337–344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2010.04.017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jennings, J. R., Kamarck, T., Stewart, C., Eddy, M., & Johnson, P. (1992). Alternate cardiovascular baseline assessment techniques: Vanilla or resting baseline. Psychophysiology, 29(6), 742–750.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Karst, J. S., & Van Hecke, A. V. (2012). Parent and family impact of autism spectrum disorders: A review and proposed model for intervention evaluation. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 15(3), 247–277.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kirschbaum, C., Pirke, K. M., & Hellhammer, D. H. (1993). The ‘Trier Social Stress Test’—a tool for investigating psychobiological stress responses in a laboratory setting. Neuropsychobiology, 28(1–2), 76–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kreibig, S. D. (2010). Autonomic nervous system activity in emotion: A review. Biological Psychology, 84, 394–421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.03.010.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kudielka, B. M., Buske-Kirschbaum, A., Hellhammer, D. H., & Kirschbaum, C. (2004). HPA axis responses to laboratory psychosocial stress in healthy elderly adults, younger adults, and children: Impact of age and gender. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 29(1), 83–98.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lecavalier, L., Leone, S., & Wiltz, J. (2006). The impact of behaviour problems on caregiver stress in young people with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 50(3), 172–183. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.2005.00732.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Le-Niculescu, H., Levey, D. F., Ayalew, M., Palmer, L., Gavrin, L. M., Jain, N., et al. (2013). Discovery and validation of blood biomarkers for suicidality. Molecular Psychiatry, 18(12), 1249–1264.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Luiselli, J. K., Cannon, B. O. M., Ellis, J. T., & Sisson, R. W. (2000). Home-based behavioral intervention for young children with autism/pervasive developmental disorder a preliminary evaluation of outcome in relation to child age and intensity of service delivery. Autism, 4(4), 426–438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McBride, B. A., Schoppe, S. J., & Rane, T. R. (2002). Child characteristics, parenting stress, and parental involvement: Fathers versus mothers. Journal of Marriage and Family, 64(4), 998–1011.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piven, J., Palmer, P., Jacobi, D., Childress, D., & Arndt, S. (1997). Broader autism phenotype: Evidence from a family history study of multiple-incidence autism families. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154(2), 185–190. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.154.2.18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Porges, S. W. (2001). The polyvagal theory: Phylogenetic substrates of a social nervous system. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 42(2), 123–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8760(01)00162-3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, P. A., & Beidel, D. C. (2009). The impact of children with high functioning autism on parental stress, sibling adjustment, and family functioning. Behavior Modification, 33(4), 437–451. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445509336427.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S. J., Estes, A., Lord, C., Vismara, L., Winter, J., Fitzpatrick, A., et al. (2012). Effects of a brief Early Start Denver Model (ESDM)–based parent intervention on toddlers at risk for autism spectrum disorders: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(10), 1052–1065.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schlotz, W., Yim, I. S., Zoccola, P. M., Jansen, L., & Schulz, P. (2011). The perceived stress reactivity scale: Measurement invariance, stability, and validity in three countries. Psychological Assessment, 23(1), 80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schulz, P., Jansen, L. J., & Schlotz, W. (2005). Stressreaktivitat: Theoretisches Konzept and Messung [Stress reactivity: Theoretical concept and measurement]. Diagnostica, 51, 124–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seltzer, M. M., Greenberg, J. S., Hong, J., Smith, L. E., Almeida, D. M., Coe, C., et al. (2010). Maternal cortisol levels and behavior problems in adolescents and adults with ASD. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 40(4), 457–469.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, T. W., & Allred, K. D. (1989). Blood-pressure responses during social interaction in high-and low-cynically hostile males. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 12(2), 135–143.

  • Tehee, E., Honan, R., & Hevey, D. (2009). Factors contributing to stress in parents of individuals with autistic spectrum disorders. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 22(1), 34–42. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3148.2008.00437.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thayer, J. F., & Lane, R. D. (2000). A model of neurovisceral integration in emotion regulation and dysregulation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 61(3), 201–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-0327(00)00338-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • The Theraplay Institute. (2005). Marschak interaction method: A structured observational technique to assess the quality and nature of the parent-child relationship. Wilmette, IL: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (2011). Wechsler abbreviated scale of intelligence, second edition (WASI-II). San Antonio, TX: NCS Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was conducted through the Virginia Tech Center for Autism Research with support from the Virginia Tech Graduate School Development Program. We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the parents and children who participated in this study and the Research Assistants who scored data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Reina S. Factor, Deanna M. Swain & Angela Scarpa

  2. Virginia Tech Center for Autism Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 3110 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Reina S. Factor, Deanna M. Swain & Angela Scarpa

Authors
  1. Reina S. Factor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Deanna M. Swain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Angela Scarpa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

RF conceived of the study and coordination of the manuscript, oversaw the editing process, and assisted in data collection; DS helped in writing the manuscript, conceiving of the study design, and collecting data; AS oversaw the paper completion, consulted on interpretation of results, and edited the manuscript in its entirety.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Reina S. Factor.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Factor, R.S., Swain, D.M. & Scarpa, A. Child Autism Spectrum Disorder Traits and Parenting Stress: The Utility of Using a Physiological Measure of Parental Stress. J Autism Dev Disord 48, 1081–1091 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3397-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3397-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation