Social care associated with improved health of parents of autistic children

Written by Alice Weatherston

Increased stress levels and depression in parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to those with more typically developing children are regularly reported. This caregiving stress can be associated with poorer physical health, pain and lower overall quality of life. A new study from researchers at Concordia University (QC, Canada) has focused in on the role of social support in reducing this stress, with potential implications for patient management and health costs. Lead authors Jean-Philippe Gouin and Erin T. Barker (Concordia University), and their colleagues, created a questionnaire for healthy parents of children with ASD in order to...

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