Research Background: Literature in the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) field provides evidence that parents of children with ASD experienced high levels of parenting stress, with 56% of them reaching clinically significant levels. However, in the literature about ASD, there is no evidence to support the attributes of parenting stress among parents having children with ASD. Purpose/Aim: This study aims to undertake a concept analysis of parenting stress among parents having children with ASD. Methods: Walker and Avant’s approach to concept analysis was used. Results: The main attributes of parenting stress among parents raising children with ASD are 1) intense mental, emotional, and physical distress, 2) negative mood (anger, frustration, resentment, and anxiety), 3) worries (uncertainty about child future), 4) low satisfaction with the parenting role, and 5) low perception of competence in the parenting role. These attributes are influenced by antecedent factors like parental characteristics, child characteristics, environmental factors, coping, and self-compassion. Consequently, parenting stress adversely affects parents’ well-being, their mental health status, parent-child relationship, family functioning, and parents and children’s quality of life (QoL). Conclusions: Parenting stress is essential to be examined in the autism field intense distress, negative mood, worries and low satisfaction with parenting roles are important attributes of parenting stress. The findings of this concept analysis can facilitate both researchers in the autism field and healthcare providers in clinical settings to develop culturally appropriate psychosocial interventions to reduce parenting stress and enhance resilience. Nurses working with children having ASD and their families may find this concept analysis to have significant implications for them. Overall, it may provide healthcare providers with insights into how to reduce parenting stress and enhance parents’ resilience.
Cite this paper
Al-Saadi, M. (2024). Parenting Stress in Parents Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Concept Analysis. Open Access Library Journal, 11, e11771. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1111771.
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