Study: Half of Moms with Autistic Children Have Depressive Symptoms

A new study by The University of California San Francisco (UCSF), found that approximately half of the mothers of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), had high levels of depression over the past 18 months. However, rates for neurotypical mothers were lower (6% to 13.6%).

The report was published in Family Process Researchers found that children with challenging behavior patterns predicted higher levels in maternal depression later on, regardless of their autism status. Researchers didn’t see an inverse effect; however, prior maternal depression did predict child behavior problems later. 

Additionally, while previous studies have suggested that having a parent with severe depression can increase the chance of your children developing mental health and behavioral problems, this study has found something else.

“We found mothers’ higher symptoms of depression did Not predict increases in children’s behavior problems over time, including among families with a child with autism who experience a lot of stress,” said Dr. Danielle Roubinov, PhD, UCSF Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and first author of the study. “That was surprising and good news.” 

“Being the parent of a child with special needs is inherently challenging every day,” added Dr. Elissa Epel, PhD, UCSF Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. “It is a prototypical example of chronic stress, which is why we have been focusing on caregiving moms in our studies that examine effects of stress on health.”

Self-blame and guilt among parents of autistic children is common and predicts worsening depression and lower life satisfaction over time, the team’s past research shows. 

Method of measuring

In the study, the researchers repeatedly measured maternal depression and children’s behavior problems in 86 mother-child dyads across 18 months. Half of the mothers had ASD-related children, while half had neurotypical kids. The study covered children ranging in age from two to sixteen years old. However, the majority (75%) of the children were elementary school age or younger. 

Maternal depression was measured by the Inventory of Depressive Symptoms. It is a selfreport scale used by mothers. Child behavior was measured through a maternal report on the Child’s Challenging Behavior Scale. The researchers said future studies should also look at associations between maternal depression and children’s internalizing symptoms (e.g., withdrawal, anxiety, emotional reactivity).

To help parents manage stress, the researchers gave mindfulness classes following the study.

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