O estresse de pais e cuidadores de crianças com Transtorno do Espectro do Autismo : uma revisão da literatura nacional

Abstract

This article aims to research the stress of parents and caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by identifying the tools that can be used to alleviate emotional overload, promoting mental health. It is a review of the scientific literature, developed from scientific articles published between the years 2014 and 2019 on parental stress in caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. For the identification of articles, the bibliographic databases Periódico CAPES and Google Acadêmico were consulted in order to identify publications involving the theme on the emotional profile of the families of children with ASD. The results revealed that the severity of ASD symptoms are the main triggers of parental stress. It was common to find that the greatest burden was on mothers. With the evident increase in stress, with the burden felt by families, with direct interference in their quality of life, the need to establish a psychological support network for coping and family guidance becomes fundamental. In addition, social relations should be encouraged as they are recognized as an important determinant of well-being when faced with stressors. Many articles have also stressed the importance of Parent Training programs, because through them, behavior modification techniques that can be relevant in the family context are passed on to improve the resilience of parents and caregivers.