Raising a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of the Literature Investigating Parenting Stress

Introduction: This systematic literature review aims to (a) identify how the parenting stress was used in the empirical studies as an independent, outcome, moderator and mediator variable, (b) identify the predictors of parenting stress in parents of children with ASD, (c) identify how parenting stress relates with mental health, and (d) make suggestions for future research. Methods: A systematic search for peer-reviewed articles on parenting stress resulted in 45 studies meeting specific inclusion criteria. Results: Child's problem behaviors and sensory problems are the strongest predictors for parenting stress that persisted over a two-year period. Single young mothers with maladaptive coping strategies who have an ASD child with problem behaviors and sensory difficulties are most at risk for high levels of parenting stress and poor mental health. Conclusion: Parenting stress negatively impacted the parental mental health-related quality of life. Directions for future research include assessing socio-cultural factors related to parenting stress across different cultures.