Impact of respite care on perceived stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms in military parents with a child on the autism spectrum

Christi, R. A., Roy, D., Heung, R., & Flake, E. (2022). Impact of respite care services availability on stress, anxiety and depression in military parents who have a child on the autism spectrum. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 149(1), Article 970. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05704-x

This pilot study examined whether receiving respite care services (i.e., temporary relief for caregivers) was associated with improved mental health among military-connected parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 119 parents completed questionnaires on whether they received respite care services, the severity of their mental health issues (i.e., anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress) as well as their individual characteristics (e.g., educational attainment, history of anxiety or depression) and family characteristics (e.g., child’s comorbid conditions, number of children in home). Overall, parents who received respite care services reported fewer mental health issues than parents who did not receive services.

Report Link