Brief report: Sensory atypicality in mothers and fathers of individuals on the autism spectrum and its relationship with emotional distress

Background: This study investigated the prevalence of sensory atypicalities of mothers and fathers of individuals with Autism and explored the relationship between levels of emotional distress (parental distress, anxiety, and depression) and sensory processing patterns. There is limited evidence con...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Nieto Vizcaíno, María del Carmen, Gandía Abellán, Elena, Campos García, Ruth, Martinez-Castilla, Pastora, Cavero-Olivera, Beatriz, Quesada‑Zeljkovic, Margarita, Verde Cagiao, María
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Repositorio:Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAM
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.uam.es:10486/717702
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10486/717702
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2024.102491
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Anxiety
Autism
Depression
Parents
Sensory atypicality
Parental Distress
Sensory Atypicality
Psicología
Descripción
Sumario:Background: This study investigated the prevalence of sensory atypicalities of mothers and fathers of individuals with Autism and explored the relationship between levels of emotional distress (parental distress, anxiety, and depression) and sensory processing patterns. There is limited evidence connecting these variables, and research in this area remains scarce. Method: 251 parents participated in the study. 170 parents of individuals with Autism completed questionnaires on sensory experiences, parental distress, anxiety, and depression. A control group of 81 parents of individuals with typical development completed the sensory questionnaire. The relationship between sensory atypicality and emotional distress was examined only in the Autism group. Results: Mothers and fathers of individuals with Autism showed a higher prevalence of sensory atypicality, especially in hyposensitive patterns. Relationships were found between specific sensory patterns and the levels of emotional distress. The hypo-reactive and hyposensitive quadrant, 'Low Registration', displayed significant predictive capacity for both anxiety and depression, while 'Sensory Sensitivity' was predominantly related to parental distress. Conclusions: Awareness of specific sensory patterns could facilitate the identification of those potentially vulnerable to experiencing anxiety, depression, or parental distress