Patterns of interparental conflict and psychological distress among Australian mothers of autistic children / Alexis KANAT in Autism, 30-3 (March 2026)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 30-3 (March 2026) . - p.788-800 Titre : Patterns of interparental conflict and psychological distress among Australian mothers of autistic children Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Alexis KANAT, Auteur ; Grace MCMAHON, Auteur ; Alison FOGARTY, Auteur ; Rebecca GIALLO, Auteur ; Monique SEYMOUR, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.788-800 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism spectrum  interparental conflict  mental health  mothers Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Mothers of autistic children often face unique emotional and financial challenges, contributing to heightened stress, poorer mental health and increased interparental conflict. This study examined interparental conflict over a 10-year period (child ages 4–14 years) among mothers of autistic children. The objectives were to: (1) compare interparental conflict levels between mothers of autistic and non-autistic children; (2) identify distinct interparental conflict trajectories among mothers of autistic children; and (3) examine the relationship between interparental conflict trajectories and mothers’ psychological distress when their children were age 14 years. Data were drawn from six waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. There were 333 mothers of autistic children and 8145 mothers of non-autistic children. Mothers of autistic children reported significantly greater interparental conflict than mothers of non-autistic children, peaking at child ages 4–5 years. Two interparental conflict trajectories were identified for mothers of autistic children: consistently low and persistently elevated, with the latter associated with greater psychological distress. These results highlight the importance of tailored support for mothers of autistic children to reduce interparental conflict and improve maternal well-being, ultimately strengthening overall family functioning.Lay Abstract Mothers raising autistic children often deal with more emotional and financial stress than mothers of non-autistic children, which can lead to more frequent interparental conflict. This study looked at how interparental conflict changed over 10 years, from when children were 4 to 14 years old. Researchers analysed data from a large, longitudinal Australian study of children. They compared two groups: 333 mothers of autistic children and 8145 mothers of non-autistic children. The study aimed to: (1) examine differences in interparental conflict between the two groups, (2) identify distinct patterns of interparental conflict among mothers of autistic children and (3) explore how these patterns related to mothers’ psychological distress when their children were 14 years old. Mothers of autistic children experienced more interparental conflict than mothers of non-autistic children, particularly when their children were 4 to 5 years old. Two distinct interparental conflict patterns emerged among mothers of autistic children: one group experienced consistently low interparental conflict, while the other reported persistently elevated interparental conflict. Mothers in the persistently elevated interparental conflict group also reported greater psychological distress compared to those in the consistently low interparental conflict group. These results highlight the need for more personalised support for mothers of autistic children to help reduce interparental conflict and improve maternal well-being. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251412202 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=582 [article] Patterns of interparental conflict and psychological distress among Australian mothers of autistic children [texte imprimé] / Alexis KANAT, Auteur ; Grace MCMAHON, Auteur ; Alison FOGARTY, Auteur ; Rebecca GIALLO, Auteur ; Monique SEYMOUR, Auteur . - p.788-800. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 30-3 (March 2026) . - p.788-800 Mots-clés : autism spectrum  interparental conflict  mental health  mothers Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Mothers of autistic children often face unique emotional and financial challenges, contributing to heightened stress, poorer mental health and increased interparental conflict. This study examined interparental conflict over a 10-year period (child ages 4–14 years) among mothers of autistic children. The objectives were to: (1) compare interparental conflict levels between mothers of autistic and non-autistic children; (2) identify distinct interparental conflict trajectories among mothers of autistic children; and (3) examine the relationship between interparental conflict trajectories and mothers’ psychological distress when their children were age 14 years. Data were drawn from six waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. There were 333 mothers of autistic children and 8145 mothers of non-autistic children. Mothers of autistic children reported significantly greater interparental conflict than mothers of non-autistic children, peaking at child ages 4–5 years. Two interparental conflict trajectories were identified for mothers of autistic children: consistently low and persistently elevated, with the latter associated with greater psychological distress. These results highlight the importance of tailored support for mothers of autistic children to reduce interparental conflict and improve maternal well-being, ultimately strengthening overall family functioning.Lay Abstract Mothers raising autistic children often deal with more emotional and financial stress than mothers of non-autistic children, which can lead to more frequent interparental conflict. This study looked at how interparental conflict changed over 10 years, from when children were 4 to 14 years old. Researchers analysed data from a large, longitudinal Australian study of children. They compared two groups: 333 mothers of autistic children and 8145 mothers of non-autistic children. The study aimed to: (1) examine differences in interparental conflict between the two groups, (2) identify distinct patterns of interparental conflict among mothers of autistic children and (3) explore how these patterns related to mothers’ psychological distress when their children were 14 years old. Mothers of autistic children experienced more interparental conflict than mothers of non-autistic children, particularly when their children were 4 to 5 years old. Two distinct interparental conflict patterns emerged among mothers of autistic children: one group experienced consistently low interparental conflict, while the other reported persistently elevated interparental conflict. Mothers in the persistently elevated interparental conflict group also reported greater psychological distress compared to those in the consistently low interparental conflict group. These results highlight the need for more personalised support for mothers of autistic children to help reduce interparental conflict and improve maternal well-being. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251412202 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=582

Psychosocial factors associated with the trajectories of interparental conflict for Australian fathers of autistic children: A longitudinal study across 10 years of child development / Grace MCMAHON ; Ali FOGARTY ; Bridget O'CONNOR ; Mark E. FEINBERG ; Robert HOCK ; Rebecca GIALLO in Autism, 29-6 (June 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 29-6 (June 2025) . - p.1554-1568 Titre : Psychosocial factors associated with the trajectories of interparental conflict for Australian fathers of autistic children: A longitudinal study across 10 years of child development Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Grace MCMAHON, Auteur ; Ali FOGARTY, Auteur ; Bridget O'CONNOR, Auteur ; Mark E. FEINBERG, Auteur ; Robert HOCK, Auteur ; Rebecca GIALLO, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.1554-1568 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism  fathers  interparental conflict  psychosocial factors  trajectory Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Limited research exists on fathers" experiences of interparental conflict (IPC) in families with autistic children. We aimed to identify: (1) the extent to which these fathers report IPC across 10 years of child development (4-14 years) and how this compares to fathers of non-autistic children; (2) distinct trajectories of IPC for fathers of autistic children and (3) factors associated with trajectories of IPC among fathers of autistic children. This is a retrospective study using a national dataset. Participants were 281 fathers of autistic children and 7046 fathers of non-autistic children. Although small effect sizes, fathers of autistic children, on average, reported significantly higher IPC when their child was 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and 10-12 years of age, compared to fathers of non-autistic children. For fathers of autistic children, longitudinal latent class analysis revealed three profiles reflecting 'low and stable", 'moderate and stable" and 'persistently elevated" levels of IPC over time. Regression analysis revealed a range of predictors (e.g. co-parenting support, father age) for fathers of autistic children experiencing 'moderate and stable" and 'persistently elevated" IPC as compared to fathers who experienced low levels of IPC. There is a significant portion of fathers of autistic children who experience ongoing and heightened IPC, highlighting the need for targeted support.Lay Abstract Not much is known about how fathers experience conflict with their partners (either verbal or physical) while raising an autistic child. This study focused on understanding these experiences over 10 years, following children from the age of 4 to 14 years. The study had two main goals: (1) to track how fathers experience conflict with their partners over this time and identify different patterns to these experiences; and (2) to find psychosocial factors in early childhood that might impact these patterns. The study included 281 fathers of autistic children and 7046 fathers of non-autistic children who took part in 'Growing Up in Australia: Longitudinal Study of Australian Children". Using a statistical method to group fathers based on the partner conflict they reported over the 10 years, results showed that there were three groups: (1) 'low and stable", (2) 'moderate and stable" and (3) 'persistently elevated" experiences of partner conflict. Additional analysis showed that fathers" confidence in their parenting, perceived support from their partners and concerns about their child?s language skills were associated with ongoing moderate levels of partner conflict. On the other hand, fathers who were older, had lower perceived support from their partners, partners experiencing psychological distress and higher parent-reported child social functioning were more likely to experience consistently high levels of conflict over time. In our study, we described different levels of conflict with their partners reported by fathers of autistic children. We also identified some of the factors that were associated with different levels of conflict. These might be used to inform interventions to reduce parental conflict in the future. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251316014 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=558 [article] Psychosocial factors associated with the trajectories of interparental conflict for Australian fathers of autistic children: A longitudinal study across 10 years of child development [texte imprimé] / Grace MCMAHON, Auteur ; Ali FOGARTY, Auteur ; Bridget O'CONNOR, Auteur ; Mark E. FEINBERG, Auteur ; Robert HOCK, Auteur ; Rebecca GIALLO, Auteur . - p.1554-1568. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 29-6 (June 2025) . - p.1554-1568 Mots-clés : autism  fathers  interparental conflict  psychosocial factors  trajectory Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Limited research exists on fathers" experiences of interparental conflict (IPC) in families with autistic children. We aimed to identify: (1) the extent to which these fathers report IPC across 10 years of child development (4-14 years) and how this compares to fathers of non-autistic children; (2) distinct trajectories of IPC for fathers of autistic children and (3) factors associated with trajectories of IPC among fathers of autistic children. This is a retrospective study using a national dataset. Participants were 281 fathers of autistic children and 7046 fathers of non-autistic children. Although small effect sizes, fathers of autistic children, on average, reported significantly higher IPC when their child was 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and 10-12 years of age, compared to fathers of non-autistic children. For fathers of autistic children, longitudinal latent class analysis revealed three profiles reflecting 'low and stable", 'moderate and stable" and 'persistently elevated" levels of IPC over time. Regression analysis revealed a range of predictors (e.g. co-parenting support, father age) for fathers of autistic children experiencing 'moderate and stable" and 'persistently elevated" IPC as compared to fathers who experienced low levels of IPC. There is a significant portion of fathers of autistic children who experience ongoing and heightened IPC, highlighting the need for targeted support.Lay Abstract Not much is known about how fathers experience conflict with their partners (either verbal or physical) while raising an autistic child. This study focused on understanding these experiences over 10 years, following children from the age of 4 to 14 years. The study had two main goals: (1) to track how fathers experience conflict with their partners over this time and identify different patterns to these experiences; and (2) to find psychosocial factors in early childhood that might impact these patterns. The study included 281 fathers of autistic children and 7046 fathers of non-autistic children who took part in 'Growing Up in Australia: Longitudinal Study of Australian Children". Using a statistical method to group fathers based on the partner conflict they reported over the 10 years, results showed that there were three groups: (1) 'low and stable", (2) 'moderate and stable" and (3) 'persistently elevated" experiences of partner conflict. Additional analysis showed that fathers" confidence in their parenting, perceived support from their partners and concerns about their child?s language skills were associated with ongoing moderate levels of partner conflict. On the other hand, fathers who were older, had lower perceived support from their partners, partners experiencing psychological distress and higher parent-reported child social functioning were more likely to experience consistently high levels of conflict over time. In our study, we described different levels of conflict with their partners reported by fathers of autistic children. We also identified some of the factors that were associated with different levels of conflict. These might be used to inform interventions to reduce parental conflict in the future. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251316014 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=558

Trajectories of psychological distress for Australian fathers parenting a child on the autism spectrum: Evidence from early childhood to adolescence / Monique SEYMOUR in Autism, 29-1 (January 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 29-1 (January 2025) . - p.182-194 Titre : Trajectories of psychological distress for Australian fathers parenting a child on the autism spectrum: Evidence from early childhood to adolescence Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Monique SEYMOUR, Auteur ; Laura A. PECORA, Auteur ; Grace MCMAHON, Auteur ; Catherine E. WOOD, Auteur ; Mark E. FEINBERG, Auteur ; Robert HOCK, Auteur ; Rebecca GIALLO, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.182-194 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism  father  mental health  psychological distress  trajectory Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Most research on the mental health of fathers with children on the autism spectrum has been cross-sectional. Little is currently known about the trajectories of fathers' mental health across their parenting journey. Using longitudinal latent class analysis, this study aimed to: (1) report on the estimates of fathers' psychological distress across six timepoints, from when their children were aged 4-14 years; (2) identify classes of fathers as defined by their trajectory of distress over time; and (3) identify early psychosocial risk factors associated with the identified trajectories of psychological distress. Participants were 281 fathers of children on the autism spectrum who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Longitudinal latent profile analysis across the six timepoints of data identified a two-class model best fit the data, with profiles reflecting minimal distress (n = 236, 84%) and elevated and increasing distress (n = 45, 16%). Regression analysis revealed ongoing medical conditions and heightened interparental conflict as significant predictors to sustained psychological distress. Findings highlight that psychological distress persists for a substantial portion of fathers throughout their child?s development. Strengthening fathers' physical health and enhancing the couple relationship are potential avenues for positively impacting fathers' long-term mental health.Lay AbstractThis study explores the mental health journey of fathers with children on the autism spectrum. Little is known about mental health over time for these fathers. This research spans six-timepoints from when children were aged 4 to 14 years, to track fathers' mental health. This study had three aims: (1) report estimates of fathers' psychological distress across 10 years of child development; (2) identify separate courses of psychological distress over time; and (3) identify early risk factors associated with these courses. This study used data from 281 fathers of children on the autism spectrum who took part in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Using a statistical method to group fathers based on their psychological distress scores over 10 years of child development, the results showed that two groups best explained the data; this included a group of fathers who experienced low levels of psychological distress over the 10 years of child development (84%), and another group of fathers who experienced heightened psychological distress across this time (16%). Further analysis showed that fathers who had an ongoing medical condition and higher levels of interparental conflict with their partners were more likely to be in the heightened psychological distress group. These findings show that almost one in six fathers deal with persistent psychological distress throughout their child?s early childhood and into early adolescence. This study advocates for interventions focusing on improving fathers' physical health and the couple relationship as ways to positively impact fathers' mental health in the long run. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613241272005 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=544 [article] Trajectories of psychological distress for Australian fathers parenting a child on the autism spectrum: Evidence from early childhood to adolescence [texte imprimé] / Monique SEYMOUR, Auteur ; Laura A. PECORA, Auteur ; Grace MCMAHON, Auteur ; Catherine E. WOOD, Auteur ; Mark E. FEINBERG, Auteur ; Robert HOCK, Auteur ; Rebecca GIALLO, Auteur . - p.182-194. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 29-1 (January 2025) . - p.182-194 Mots-clés : autism  father  mental health  psychological distress  trajectory Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Most research on the mental health of fathers with children on the autism spectrum has been cross-sectional. Little is currently known about the trajectories of fathers' mental health across their parenting journey. Using longitudinal latent class analysis, this study aimed to: (1) report on the estimates of fathers' psychological distress across six timepoints, from when their children were aged 4-14 years; (2) identify classes of fathers as defined by their trajectory of distress over time; and (3) identify early psychosocial risk factors associated with the identified trajectories of psychological distress. Participants were 281 fathers of children on the autism spectrum who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Longitudinal latent profile analysis across the six timepoints of data identified a two-class model best fit the data, with profiles reflecting minimal distress (n = 236, 84%) and elevated and increasing distress (n = 45, 16%). Regression analysis revealed ongoing medical conditions and heightened interparental conflict as significant predictors to sustained psychological distress. Findings highlight that psychological distress persists for a substantial portion of fathers throughout their child?s development. Strengthening fathers' physical health and enhancing the couple relationship are potential avenues for positively impacting fathers' long-term mental health.Lay AbstractThis study explores the mental health journey of fathers with children on the autism spectrum. Little is known about mental health over time for these fathers. This research spans six-timepoints from when children were aged 4 to 14 years, to track fathers' mental health. This study had three aims: (1) report estimates of fathers' psychological distress across 10 years of child development; (2) identify separate courses of psychological distress over time; and (3) identify early risk factors associated with these courses. This study used data from 281 fathers of children on the autism spectrum who took part in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Using a statistical method to group fathers based on their psychological distress scores over 10 years of child development, the results showed that two groups best explained the data; this included a group of fathers who experienced low levels of psychological distress over the 10 years of child development (84%), and another group of fathers who experienced heightened psychological distress across this time (16%). Further analysis showed that fathers who had an ongoing medical condition and higher levels of interparental conflict with their partners were more likely to be in the heightened psychological distress group. These findings show that almost one in six fathers deal with persistent psychological distress throughout their child?s early childhood and into early adolescence. This study advocates for interventions focusing on improving fathers' physical health and the couple relationship as ways to positively impact fathers' mental health in the long run. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613241272005 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=544

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