Parental Stress and Well-Being of Caregivers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Southeast Georgia

Elevated parental stress among caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is well documented. However, characteristics associated with higher stress and the role of telehealth parent training programs on parental stress have not been widely examined. The lack of evidence-based information is more evident among underserved populations; hence, this study aimed to determine the predictors of parental stress and well-being and evaluate factors associated with the completion of a telehealth autism parent training (APT) program in rural Georgia. One hundred one self-reported questionnaires were administered among caregivers of children with ASD, and 68.32% reported low parental stress, and 69.31% reported low well-being. The findings showed that higher parental stress was associated with shorter sleep duration (p=.03), the presence of anxiety or depression (p=.02) among caregivers, and more child behavior (p=.02). Shorter sleep duration (p The study offered insight into parental stress and well-being predictors (sleep duration, caregivers’ comorbidities, and child behaviors) and emphasized the need for further examination of the effectiveness of telehealth training programs on parental stress and further investigation of attrition bias presented in studies of this population.