Interventions to Promote Well-Being in Parents of Children with Autism: a Systematic Review

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience unique challenges in performing their caregiving roles, often experiencing greater levels of parental stress than other parents. A systematic review of the literature on interventions to improve parental well-being among parents of children with ASD was conducted using three electronic databases (ERIC, PSYCHINFO, Medline) and a combination of key terms. Forty-one of the included studies were coded according to participant characteristics, intervention characteristics, outcome measures, and study quality. The following research questions were examined: (1) What type and format of interventions have been used to improve parental outcomes among parents of children with ASD? (2) What interventions have been most effective in improving parental outcomes? (3) How strong is the evidence base for interventions aimed at improving parental outcomes? Gaps in the literature, future directions for research, and implications for practice will be considered.