Association between autism symptomatology and DSM-5 symptoms and parents' mental health

Caring for a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be challenging for parents. Many of parent's challenges are related to the spectrum of symptoms associated with the condition. Because one of the most pivotal changes made in the DSM-5 relates to ASD concerns the symptoms' impact on social communication aspects of functioning we sought to assess symptoms of autism in relation to parents' mental health. Specifically, this investigation assessed the association between diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders and the mental health profile of parents. In our study, we used two measures for assessment of autism. The first was DSM5 diagnosis of autism and the second was The Krug Aspeger Disorder Index (KADI). A sample of 184 parents was used to evaluate the above association. Of the sample collected, 154 parents indicated that their child met the diagnostic criteria for Asperger Syndrome. The main findings in this study suggested that a DSM 5 diagnosis of autism was associated with an elevated level of depression of the parents. A higher chance of a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome was associated with higher levels of suicidal ideation among parents. Finally, parents who indicated that their child would have a high to very high chance of being diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome received a higher score on the anxiety and depression measures compare with parents of a child who would have an extremely low chance of being diagnosed. The implication for practice, assessment, and research are presented.