97 - Relationship Characteristics in Caregivers of Autistic Youth: A Systematic Review​

Publication Number: 1089.97

Maira B. Bokhari, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX, United States; Natasha Faruqui, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States; Ridhima Challa, The university of texas at austin, Katy, TX, United States; Haley Hooper-Boyle, Texas A&M university, Bryan, TX, United States; Imelda Vetter, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, United States; Mitchell Todd, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, United States; Jeffrey Shahidullah, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, United States

Background: Parents of children with autism consistently report lower relationship satisfaction and quality compared to parents of children without autism. There is a paucity of research in this area exploring specific factors that contribute to relationship outcomes.

Objective: This systematic review examined the factors predictive of relationship satisfaction and divorce in parents of children with autism.

Design/Methods: This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Eligibility Criteria: Studies were included if they were: (a) published in English, (b) peer-reviewed, (c) examined caregiver relationship outcomes in parents of children with ASD, and (d) conducted in the U.S.

A health sciences librarian, in collaboration with the authors, developed and conducted the systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO.

Two reviewers independently screened all titles and abstracts in Rayyan, excluding irrelevant studies. Full texts of remaining articles were reviewed against inclusion criteria with disagreements resolved by third reviewere. Forward citation analysis underwent the same process.

Results: 17 studies were part of the final analysis.. Nearly half (47%, N = 8) used longitudinal designs. 24% (N = 4) compared divorced and non-divorced groups. Males comprised at least 75% of child participants in 80% of studies reporting sex. 41% (N = 7) of studies reported that at least 90% of their parent sample identified as White/Non-Hispanic.

Regarding relationship outcomes, 76% (N = 13) included only married or long-term partners, with average marriage duration ranging from 8 to 17 years. Divorce outcomes were reported in 18% (N = 3) of studies, 2 of which found elevated divorce rates (23.5%-36%) compared to the general population. Out of 5 articles examining the role of child externalizing behavior on parent relationship outcomes, 4 articles found that higher levels of child externalizing behavior were negatively associated with marital satisfaction and couple functioning. 6 studies reported on parental psychopathology, specifically depression (n = 4), anxiety (n = 2), and stress (n = 6). 3 (n = 3) articles specifically found a relation between depression and marital satisfaction.

Conclusion(s): Findings demonstrate that parents raising a child with ASD would benefit from support to assist them in both parenting and their relationship with their partner. However, further studies are needed to gain a greater understanding of their risk and protective factors and how these mediate and moderate relationship satisfaction and divorce outcomes.

PRISMA Flow Chart
Figure 1. PRISMA flow diagram depicting how many articles were screened and excluded

Table 1 Study characteristics and outcomes