Autism Spectrum Disorder Traits and Parental Stress: The Moderating Role of Parental Self-Efficacy

Background: The relationship between parenting stress and child behavior is a complex bi-directional process (Baker et al., 2003). Previous research has established that caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience increased parenting stress as a result of unique parenting demands and child problem behavior (Davis & Carter, 2008; Estes et al., 2013). Positive self-concepts, specifically parental self-efficacy (PSE), may buffer stress in a number of contexts (Cieslak, Benight, & Lehman, 2008). While many studies examine parenting stress in relation to ASD, they often use parent self-report rather than objective measures in a laboratory setting. High-frequency heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of autonomic functioning that is mediated by parasympathetic nervous system activity (Berntson, Cacioppo, Quigley, & Fabro, 1994), and has been used to indicate flexible emotional responding and psychopathological processes (Thayer & Lane, 2000; Kreibig, 2010).

Objectives: The present study aims to further explore the role of PSE as a moderator in the relationship between parental stress and ASD traits, utilizing a biological, unbiased measure of stress (HRV) within a controlled laboratory environment. Findings may have implications for parent training and intervention targets. It is predicted that PSE will act as a “buffer,” decreasing the effect of ASD traits on parental stress that is measured physiologically with HRV.

Methods: The present study examined the stress parents of children with ASD experience and the way in which PSE may moderate the impact ASD traits have on this stress by using a physiological measure of stress. The sample included 41 mother-child dyads (32% ASD; 61% male, 7-12 years). ASD traits were determined by The Autism Spectrum Quotient-Child Version (AQ-Child; Auyeung, Baron-Cohn, Wheelwright, & Allison, 2007), parental stress was measured by baseline HRV using Polar Pro software, and PSE was measured by the Parental Sense of Competence scale (PSOC; Johnston & Mash, 1989). HRV was measured during a 3-minute baseline video to achieve a “vanilla” baseline (Jennings, Kamarck, Stewart, Eddy, & Johnson, 1992).

Results: Regression analyses indicated main effects for both ASD traits and PSE on maternal baseline HRV, such that increased HRV (i.e., reduced physiological stress) was related to higher ASD trait scores (β =1.40, p = .001) and reduced PSE scores (β = -.974, p = .003). However, the interaction term (i.e., PSExAQ) was not significant (β =.064, p = .12). Therefore, PSE did not significantly moderate the relationship between ASD traits and parental stress.

Conclusions:  These findings suggest relationships of parental physiological stress with ASD trait severity and PSE. Specifically, heightened ASD trait severity and lower PSE were both associated with increased HRV. These results may illustrate the fact that parents whose children have more severe ASD and therefore, higher AQ scores, might have developed more adaptive coping mechanisms. However, the relationship indicating low PSE and increased HRV is unexpected. One potential explanation is that there may be some discrepancy in what HRV is truly measuring, and it might not be a truly accurate indicator of parental stress.