Méndez-Lara Lessa A, Ramirez-Rodriguez Rodrigo, Santos Edgar, Puig-Lagunes Angel
Faculty of Medicine, Veracruzana University, Minatitlan, Mexico.
Autonomous University of Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico.
Front Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2025 Aug 22;4:1619993. doi: 10.3389/frcha.2025.1619993. eCollection 2025.
Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face unique challenges that may significantly increase stress levels, potentially impacting the emotional well-being of the entire family. In Mexico, limited research has examined the association between parental stress and coping strategies among families with children with developmental disabilities. This study aimed to compare stress levels and coping strategies among parents of children with ASD, ADHD, and neurotypical developing (NTD) children, as well as to analyze differences in coping styles across these groups. A cross-sectional, descriptive-comparative design was employed with 212 parents of children aged 3 to 5 years, with a formal clinical diagnosis made by a pediatric neurologist. Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing parental stress and coping styles. Results revealed that parents of children with ASD and ADHD reported significantly higher stress levels ( = 116.7 and = 88.1, respectively) compared to parents of NTD children ( = 67.2). Significant differences in coping strategies were observed ( < .001); 100% of ASD/ADHD parents used emotion-focused coping, whereas 94.93% of NTD parents used problem-focused coping. These findings emphasize the importance of designing interventions to support coping and stress regulation in parents of children with developmental disorders.
患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）和注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）儿童的父母面临着独特的挑战，这些挑战可能会显著增加压力水平，进而可能影响整个家庭的情绪健康。在墨西哥，针对发育障碍儿童家庭中父母压力与应对策略之间关联的研究有限。本研究旨在比较ASD儿童、ADHD儿童和神经典型发育（NTD）儿童的父母的压力水平和应对策略，并分析这些群体在应对方式上的差异。采用横断面描述性比较设计，研究对象为212名3至5岁儿童的父母，他们均由儿科神经科医生进行了正式的临床诊断。参与者完成了评估父母压力和应对方式的有效问卷。结果显示，与NTD儿童的父母（=67.2）相比，ASD儿童和ADHD儿童的父母报告的压力水平显著更高（分别为=116.7和=88.1）。观察到应对策略存在显著差异（<0.001）；100%的ASD/ADHD儿童父母采用以情绪为中心的应对方式，而94.93%的NTD儿童父母采用以问题为中心的应对方式。这些发现强调了设计干预措施以支持发育障碍儿童父母应对压力和调节压力的重要性。
