Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2019.
World J Psychiatr. Mar 27, 2019; 9(2): 30-46
Published online Mar 27, 2019. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v9.i2.30
Table 1 Demographic information
Demographic informationn (%)
Sex of child (male: female, n = 117)96 (82.1): 21 (17.9)
Age of child in years at enrolment at Centre (n = 117)
mean (SD)4.13 (0.53)
Median (range)4.15 (2.74-5.79)
Country of birth of child (Australia: overseas, n = 110)106 (96.4): 4 (3.6)
Indigenous background (n = 88)4 (4.5)
CALD background (n = 107)63 (58.9)
English as additional language (n = 111)49 (44.1)
Primary carer (n = 75)
Mother68 (90.7)
Father5 (6.7)
Other extended family2 (2.7)
IRSAD percentile ranking (n = 116)
mean (SD)38.8 (25.06)
Median (range)34 (4-95)
IRSAD categories (n = 111)
Lowest third43 (38.7)
Middle third49 (44.1)
Top third19 (17.1)
AUSEI06 percentile ranking (n = 112)
mean (SD)65.56 (20.56)
Median (range)71.6 (7.9-100)
AUSEI06 (n = 109)
Lowest third7 (6.4)
Middle third33 (30.3)
Top third69 (63.3)
Table 2 Means and standard deviations for measures of autism spectrum disorder symptom severity
ASD symptom severity measuremean (SD, range)
SCQ communication (n = 109)5.66 (2.09, 0-12)
SCQ social (n = 110)7.19 (3.47, 0-14)
SCQ RRSB (n = 110)4.36 (2.32, 0-8)
SCQ total (n = 110)18.36 (6.29, 2-36)
VABS adaptive (n = 99)64.56 (12.48, 42-106)
VABS maladaptive (n = 106)19.26 (1.87, 15-24)
ADOS severity score (n = 99)7.11 (1.76, 1-10)
Table 3 Means and standard deviations for mothers’ and fathers’ parenting sense of competence and symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress
Mothers, mean (SD, range)Fathers, mean (SD, range)
PSOC satisfaction3.67 (1.04, 1-6), n = 1073.74 (0.91, 2.17-5.67), n = 54
PSOC efficacy4.34 (0.89, 1.43-6), n = 1074.31 (0.67, 2.71-5.71), n = 54
PSOC interest4.88 (1.12, 1-6), n = 1074.66 (1.00, 2.50-6), n = 54
DASS depression3.57 (3.68, 0-13), n = 1023.78 (4.32, 0-16), n = 54
DASS anxiety2.76 (3.03, 0-11), n = 1012.45 (3.01, 0-13), n = 53
DASS stress5.32 (3.92, 0-15), n = 1015.04 (4.42, 0-15), n = 53
Table 4 Comparison of our data with normative data
MothersFathers
PSOC satisfaction1t(864) = 2.160, P = 0.031at(351) = -1.572, P = 0.117
PSOC efficacy1t(864) = 13.065, P < 0.001dt(351) = 3.788, P < 0.001d
PSOC interest1t(125.573) = -2.036, P = 0.044at(61.599) = -2.972, P = 0.004b
DASS depression2t(597) = 2.399, P = 0.017at(549) = 2.158, P = 0.031a
DASS anxiety2t(596) = 3.318, P = 0.001bt(548) = 1.760, P = 0.079
DASS stress2t(596) = 2.090, P = 0.004bt(548) = 1.703, P = 0.089
Table 5 Means and standard deviations for culturally and linguistically diverse and non-culturally and linguistically diverse parents’ parenting sense of competence and symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress
CALD, mean (SD, range)Non-CALD, mean (SD, range)
Mothers
PSOC satisfaction3.65 (1.06, 1.2-5.6), n = 573.78 (0.98, 2-6), n = 41
PSOC efficacy4.32 (0.84, 1.86-6), n = 574.34 (0.99, 1.43-5.71), n = 41
PSOC interest4.76 (1.3, 1-6), n = 575.01 (0.90, 3-6), n = 41
DASS depression3.39 (3.56, 0-13), n = 513.49 (3.77, 0-13), n = 41
DASS anxiety2.66 (2.97, 0-9), n = 502.63 (2.99, 0-11), n = 41
DASS stress5.60 (3.57, 0-13), n = 504.61 (4.41, 0-15), n = 41
Fathers
PSOC satisfaction3.90 (0.93, 2.17-5.67), n = 293.55 (0.78, 2.33-5), n = 20
PSOC efficacy4.35 (0.93, 3-5.71), n = 294.26 (0.80, 2.71-5.57), n = 20
PSOC interest4.52 (0.95, 2.5-6), n = 294.85 (1.05, 2.5-6), n = 20
DASS depression2.70 (3.68, 0-15), n = 305.10 (4.99, 0-16), n = 20
DASS anxiety2.45 (2.71, 0-11), n = 292.35 (3.51, 0-13), n = 20
DASS stress4.24 (3.77, 0-15), n = 295.85 (5.07, 0-15), n = 20
Table 6 Significant correlations between measures of parenting sense of competence and wellbeing and autism spectrum disorder symptom severity for the whole sample and by levels of socioeconomic status
Mothers
Fathers
Full sampleSample by AUSEI06Sample by IRSADFull sampleSample by AUSEI06Sample by IRSAD
PSOC satisfaction
Negative: SCQ communication, r(99) = -0.270, P = 0.007Top third of SES: Negative: SCQ total, r(60) = -0.317, P = 0.013Middle third of SES: Negative: SCQ communication, r(39) = -0.457, P = 0.003
Negative: SCQ total, r(100) = -0.264, P = 0.008Negative: SCQ communication, r(59) = -0.300, P = 0.021Top third of SES: Negative: SCQ communication, r(17) = -0.545, P = 0.024
Negative: SCQ social, r(100) =-0.226, = 0.024Negative: SCQ RRBI, r(17) = -0.553, P = 0.021
Positive: VABS - adaptive, r(90) = 0.235, P = 0.026Negative: SCQ total, r(17) = -0.572, P = 0.016
PSOC efficacy
Negative: SCQ social, r(100) = -0.291, P = 0.003Top third of SES: Positive: VABS - adaptive, r(56) = 0.360, P = 0.006Top third of SES: Negative: SCQ communication, r(17) = -0.719, P = 0.001Top third of SES: Negative: VABS - maladaptive, r(37) = -0.461, P = 0.004Bottom third of SES: Negative: VABS - maladaptive, r(23) = -0.487, P = 0.018
Negative: SCQ RRSB, r(100) = -0.307, P = 0.002Negative: SCQ total, r(60) = -0.374, P = 0.003Negative: SCQ social, r(17) = -0.609, P = 0.010Negative: SCQ total, r(39) = -0.449, P = 0.004
Negative: SCQ total, r(100) = -0.348, P < 0.001Negative: SCQ Social, r(60) = -0.304, P = 0.018Negative: SCQ Total, r(17) = -0.660, P = 0.004
Positive: VABS - adaptive, r(90) = 0.230, P = 0.029Negative: SCQ RRBI, r(60) = -0.312, P = 0.015
PSOC interest
Positive: IRSAD, r(106) = 0.278, P = 0.004Middle third of SES: Negative: SCQ communication, r(39) = -0.364, P = 0.023
Top third of SES: Negative: SCQ communication, r(17) = -0.553, P = 0.021
DASS depression
Negative: VABS - adaptive, r(85) = -0.258, P = 0.017Top third of SES: Negative: VABS - adaptive, r(14) = -0.664, P = 0.010Negative: AUSEI06, r(52) = -0.323, P = 0.020
Positive: SCQ total, r(95) = 0.238, P = 0.020
DASS anxiety
Top third of SES: Positive: VABS - maladaptive, r(14) = 0.644, P = 0.013Negative: AUSEI06, r(52) = -0.316, P = 0.023
DASS stress
Top third of SES: Positive: ADOS comparison (severity) score, r(14) = 0.635, P = 0.015Negative: AUSEI06, r(53) = -0.305, P = 0.026