Abstract

PEREIRA, Alexandra Isabel Lobo; FERNANDES, Otília Monteiro  and  RELVA, Inês Carvalho. Psychopathological symptomatology and social support in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Aná. Psicológica [online]. 2018, vol.36, n.3, pp.327-340. ISSN 0870-8231.  https://doi.org/10.14417/ap.1371.

The present study had as main objective to analyze the presence (or not) of psychopathological symptomatology in the parents of children with ASD (autism spectrum disorder), as well as to study their degree of satisfaction with social support. For this effect, a sample of 246 parents in which at least a son is a bearer of ASD was investigated. Three instruments were used, namely Sociobiographical questionnaire; Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI; Derogatis, 1982, portuguese version of Canavarro, 1999); and Social Support Satisfaction Scale (Pais-Ribeiro, 2011). The results indicated that: (1) mothers of the children with ASD present higher levels of psychopathological symptomatology than the fathers; (2) parents with 3 or more children present higher rates of satisfaction with the family comparatively to the parents with 1 or 2 children; (3) there are a negative correlation between all the dimensions of the social support and of the psychopathological symptomatology; (4) female is a predictor for some of the psychopathological symptoms dimensions. The results were discussed with the intention of providing some directives in the clinical intervention with children’s and parents with ASD.

Keywords : Autism spectrum disorder; Social support; Psychopathological symptomatology.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )