Parental stress and symptoms of depression: a preliminary report

The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between parental stress and parental depression symptoms. A total of 67 mothers took part in this study, of whom 39 mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 28 mothers of typically developing children. The self-reported measures of the Parental Stress Index III and the Questionnaire for Measuring Depression were used in this study. Mothers' stress domain, but not children' stress domain, was positively associated not only with mothers' total symptoms of depression but also with its dimensions such as cognitive deficits and a lack of energy, thinking about dead, pessimism, and a feeling of alienation, anxiety and guilt symptoms, psychosomatic symptoms and a loss of interest, and lower self-regulation abilities in a group of mothers of children with ASD. There were not nearly any significant associations between mothers' stress and mothers' depression symptoms in a sample of mothers of typically developing children. The results have practical implications for mental health support providers.