Through a trauma-based lens: a qualitative analysis of the experience of parenting a child with an autism spectrum disorder

Background Although parents of children with autism spectrum disorder exhibit high levels of parenting stress, minimal research has examined the type of stress they experience. Understanding parenting stress is critical as the effects are not limited to the parent. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of conceptualising parenting stress within a traumatic stress framework.

Method Twelve mothers participated in focus groups, which were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used, then researchers examined for spontaneous reporting of DSM-5-defined traumatic stressors and trauma symptomatology.

Results Forty percent of mothers experienced traumatic stressors and trauma-related symptomatology. Sixty percent of mothers did not report traumatic stressors but reported trauma-related symptomatology regardless.

Conclusions The use of a traumatic stress framework to conceptualise some parenting experiences was supported. This finding has important implications for the development of interventions to prevent or reduce stress.