Depression and parental distress among caregivers of autistic children: a serial mediator analysis in caregivers of autistic children.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the severity of autism, emotional and behavioral problems of autistic children, internalized stigma, depressive symptoms, and primary caregiver parental stress. Specifically, we explored the mediating role of internal stigmatization and total difficulties of individuals with autism on parenting stress and depressive symptoms of the primary caregiver. METHOD: Mothers of 93 children with autism were included in the study. The mothers were given the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI), the Autism Behavior Checklist, the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, Strength, and Difficulties Questionnaire -Parent Form (SDQ-P). RESULTS: As a result of our study, the emotional and behavioral problems of the child and the internalized stigmatization felt by the parent played a mediator role in the relationship between the child's autism severity and the parent's stress and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight that internalized stigmatization and behavioral characteristics of individuals with autism are among the most critical problems for their primary caregivers. These results have important implications for the development of interventions aimed at reducing the internalized stigma experienced by primary caregivers of individuals with autism and for improving their mental health outcomes.

Reliability and validity of the brief version of the difficulties in emotion regulation scale in a sample of Turkish adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Difficulty in regulating emotions increases during adolescence and can be associated with psychopathology. It is thus crucial to develop tools to identify adolescents at risk of having emotional difficulties. This study aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of a brief questionnaire in a sample of Turkish adolescents. METHODS: A total of 256 participants (mean age = 15.51 ± 0.85) were recruited. They completed the original form of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-36), a brief version of DERS (DERS-16), the Barrett Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11), and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Psychometric properties of DERS-16 were investigated by confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and Pearson correlational analysis. RESULTS: A five-factor model and second-order bifactor model of DERS-16 were confirmed. Cronbach's alpha values for the subscales varied between 0.69 and 0.88, while the reliability of the factors Difficulties in Emotional Processing and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation were 0.75 and 0.90, respectively. DERS-16 subscales were positively correlated with the BIS-11 and TAS. In addition, there were only minimal differences between the DERS-16 and DERS-36. CONCLUSION: The DERS-16 is a valid and reliable scale for Turkish adolescents. The fact that it has fewer items than DERS-36, but has similar reliability and validity and can be used as two factors, provides significant advantages in terms of applicability.