Vulnerability of parents and siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders: assessing the bond and evaluating a pilot model of intervention

• Grant number: 13/25332-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: July 01, 2014 - December 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Human Development Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Rogerio Lerner
• Grantee: Rogerio Lerner
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psicologia (IP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are considered at risk for developmental disorders due to high recurrence scores among first degree family members. Parents of autism spectrum disorders children have higher prevalence of depressive, anxious and stressful symptoms than parents of children who do not have ASD. This research has two main aims: a) assessing stress and mental health conditions of ASD children parents, as well as the quality of the bonding with their other baby offspring and their development; b) evaluate a evaluating a pilot model of intervention to improve the development of siblings of children with ASD and on the bond with their parents. It has two steps: 1. case-control study where 60 ASD children parents with babies up to 18 months (case group) will be assessed for depressiveness, anxiety, social support, the quality of the bonding with the babies and their development. Results will be compared to those of 30 parents of children without ASD with a baby at the same age (control group). 2. clinical trial study in which 30 parents of children with ASD with their babies up to 15 months of age will participate of a 12 sessions of intervention, based on psychoanalytical theory. Results will be compared of those of 30 dyads of case group of step 1 who had not received the intervention. Parents will be assessed before and after intervention for depressive, anxious and stressful symptoms and the quality of the bonding with the baby. Babies will be assessed before and after intervention for withdrawn, ASD symptoms and developmental risk. Intervention will be run by the team of researchers at the services where ASD children are treated in order to build competences and strategic alliances with them and promoting the diffusion of knowledge by means of implementing this project of applied research. This research is part of the Research Support Center on Neurodevelopment and Mental Health of University of São Paulo. FAPESP supports part of this project by means of a post-doctoral scholarship (process # 2013/03676-5). This application refers to the need of hiring researchers, an expert in statistics and a professional to type, as well as transport expenses. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ANNA VICTÓRIA PANDJARJIAN MEKHITARIAN MORAES; MARINA MARTINS BIALER; ROGÉRIO LERNER. CLÍNICA E PESQUISA DO AUTISMO: OLHAR ÉTICO PARA O SOFRIMENTO DA FAMÍLIA. Psicol. estud., v. 26, 2021-05-10. (18/03306-7, 13/25332-6)