Self-reported Depressive Symptoms of school-age siblings of individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Findings from a Greek sample

Introduction

Previous studies have shown elevated levels of depressive symptoms in parents of children with ASD. However, few studies have assessed depressive symptoms in neurotypical ASD-siblings and most have done so, within a broad age range, while studies focusing on a certain developmental stage (middle childhood in particular) using a self-report depression-specific assessment tool are sparse.

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the depressive symptoms of Greek school-age neurotypical siblings of individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder through a self-reported questionnaire.

Methods

The sample included 85 school-age neurotypical ASD-siblings (8-13 years old). The Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and a demographics questionnaire were administered to all participants.

Results

Results showed that a considerable percentage of the sample (15.3%) scored twice as high as the mean score. ASD-siblings in the present study scored higher (mean total score in CDI was 7.24±6.27) than children of similar age and nationality. Further, 5.9% of the siblings in the present study exhibited severe depressive symptoms (using 19 as a threshold) whereas 12.9% of ASD-siblings scored above 15 and therefore should be further evaluated by mental health services.

Conclusions

The results of the present study documents a relatively high prevalence of depressive symptoms in neurotypical siblings of individuals with ASD. ASD-siblings showed higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to normative data. This is the first study addressing depressive symptoms in siblings of autistic children conducted in the Greek cultural context. The present study highlights the need for the development and implementation of appropriate and effective interventions within the Greek healthcare system for ASD-siblings.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Quality of Life in Neurotypical Siblings of Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: Associations with Parental Social Support and demographic variables

Introduction

Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) is acknowledged as an important construct in describing the individuals overall condition within the health context. In the case of families with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), neurotypical siblings’ HRQOL is an important concept for this at-risk population. Social support has been identified as an important protective factor against parental psychological problems. However, possible associations between HRQOL in neurotypical ASD-siblings and parental variables, such as perceived social support, remained unexplored in the ASD-siblings’ literature.

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate any association between HRQOL in neurotypical ASD-siblings and parental perceived social support and key demographic variables.

Methods

118 parent-child-dyads from Greek ASD-families that fulfilled inclusion criteria participated in this study and answered a demographic questionnaire. Parents were administered the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived-Social-Support (MSPSS), while the children answered the Kidscreen-27. A hierarchical multiple regression was performed to test the hypothesis.

Results

Hierarchical regression showed that neurotypical siblings HRQOL (as measured with KIDSCREEN-27 total score) was associated with perceived social support from the family (std beta=0.184; p=0.027; model 1), and this association persisted after demographics entered the model (std beta=0.369; p=0.015; model 2). Thus, it was found that the sibling’s HRQOL was associated with perceived social support from the family independent of demographics.

Conclusions

The results of the present study showed that the HRQOL in ASD-siblings is associated with perceived social support from the family, pointing to the need for supporting siblings and designing effective interventions in order to prevent possible mental health problems in neurotypical siblings of ASD individuals in the future.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Feelings of Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction in Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Role of Birth Order and Perceived Social Support

Loneliness has been associated with several adverse psychosocial outcomes in childhood and adolescence. The present study aimed to investigate feelings of loneliness and social dissatisfaction in school-aged typically-developing (TD) siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For this purpose, 118 siblings of children with ASD and 115 siblings of TD children and one of their parents participated in this study. Siblings of ASD-children reported higher levels of loneliness and social dissatisfaction than the controls. The hierarchical multiple regressions performed revealed that those feelings were inversely associated with being the first-born and with specific aspects of social support as perceived by the parent. The younger siblings of ASD-children seem to be in need of certain interventions beyond social support.

Quality of life in neurotypical siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder: Detecting children at risk

Introduction

Quality of life (QOL) instruments can provide unique information on various aspects of children’s everyday functioning beyond clinical symptoms and clinical measures. The study of the QOL in the siblings of individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD-siblings) is a new direction in the field of ASD-research.

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the QOL in ASD-siblings in comparison with an age and sex matched group of siblings of neurotypical children.

Methods

The sample included 233 neurotypical children (8-13 years old) of whom 118 comprised the observational group (ASD-siblings) and 115 comprised the comparison group. The Kidscreen-27 and a demographics questionnaire were administered to all participants.

Results

The two groups differed significantly in all subscales and in the overall score of the Kidscreen-27, with the children in the observation group having a significantly worse quality of life (Mean±sd 111,62±12,43, p<0,001). Additionally, the largest difference in the averages of the subscales occurs in the subscale General Mood and Emotions, where the observation group had significantly lower scores (Mean±sd 23,23±3,69, p<0,001) than the comparison group (Mean±sd 31,27±2,74).

Conclusions

QOL in children has been recognized as an important outcome indicator in detecting subgroups of children at risk within the general population, while ASD-siblings’ QOL is an important concept in the implementation of appropriate services for these children. This study revealed poorer QOL in ASD-siblings and highlighted the importance of assessing QOL in those siblings as well as the use of the Kidscreen-27 as a screening tool in order to detect children at risk of maladjustment.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Psychological distress among greek parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder: Is there a link to anxiety symptoms in neurotypical offspring?

Introduction

Parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at higher risk of suffering from mental health problems (MHP) than parents of children with other developmental disabilities. Research on the general population documented that MHP in parents contributes as a significant risk factor for maladjustment outcomes in their offspring, while parental anxiety disorders in particular have been associated with a higher prevalence of anxiety disorders in the offspring. However, evidence concerning possible associations between parent-offspring psychological problems in the case of ASD-families is scarce and inconsistent.This study forms a part of a larger PhD study and some preliminary findings have been partially discussed in previous work.

Objectives

To investigate any association between anxiety symptoms in neurotypical offspring (ASD-siblings) with parental MHP.

Methods

118 parent-child-dyads from ASD-families that fulfilled inclusion criteria participated in this study and answered a demographic questionnaire. Parents were administered the GHQ-28, while the children answered the STAIC-A-Trait. A hierarchical multiple regression was performed to test the hypothesis.

Results

Participating parents demonstrating poorer mental health, with 53 (44.9%) of them considered as suffering from psychological distress according to the score of GHQ-28. Furthermore, hierarchical regression showed that STAIC-(A-Trait) total score of ASD-siblings was associated with parental anxiety (std beta=0.292; p=0.29;model 1) and this association persisted after demographics entered the model (std beta=0.300; p=0.029; model 2).

Conclusions

This study shows a significant association between parental psychological distress and anxiety in the neurotypical offspring in ASD-families, highlighting the need to provide all members of ASD-families with the appropriate services.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Self-reported Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and Anxiety Among Greek School-Age Siblings of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Relation to Parental Mental Health and Social Support

Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and anxiety were measured in 233 school-age siblings of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and siblings of Typically Developing (TD) children in Greece. The aim of the study was to investigate for any association between siblings' HRQOL or anxiety and parental mental health, perceived social support as well as major demographic factors. It was found that the disability group (ASD-sibs) showed elevated anxiety levels and poorer HRQOL than controls. In hierarchical multiple regression models, the anxiety of ASD-sibs was significantly associated with parental anxiety independent of parental perceived social support and demographic factors, whereas the HRQOL of ASD-sibs was associated with perceived social support independent of parental physical and mental health and demographic factors.

Depressive symptoms of autism spectrum disorder children's siblings in Greece: Associations with parental anxiety and social support

LAY ABSTRACT

Typically developing siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders are often found to exhibit elevated levels of stress and depressive symptoms compared to siblings of typically developing children or siblings of children with other disabilities. Besides the behavioral problems of the child with autism and certain demographic characteristics that have been recognized as factors associated with typically developing siblings' psychological distress, the role of parental mental health and the social support from the family has not been studied sufficiently. The goal of this study is to assess depressive symptoms in 85 Greek school-aged typically developing siblings of children with autism and to investigate for any associations between siblings' depressive symptoms on one hand and demographics, parental mental health, and perceived social support on the other hand. It was found that typically developing siblings had higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to children from a general population sample. In addition, parental anxiety and social support from the family as perceived by the parents themselves were identified as independently associated with typically developing siblings' depressive symptoms. Of note, perceived social support failed to attenuate the association between parental anxiety and siblings' depressive symptoms. These results highlight the importance of assessing both parental and typically developing siblings' psychological state to implement interventions addressed to the needs of all family members.