Highlights
- •Urban and rural caregivers of children with ASD have high levels of stress.
- •Some rural caregivers reported not feeling respected by healthcare professionals.
- •Navigating ASD resources can be difficult and increase stress for some caregivers.
- •Rural caregivers felt like they were left to navigate resources on their own.
- •Parent-intervention programs decrease stress for caregivers.
Abstract
Problem
Caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) report high levels of stress,
social isolation, and poor mental health. Social and emotional support may buffer
negative effects of stress for caregivers of children with ASD, however, those living
in rural areas may be disadvantaged due to social isolation and increased distance
from resources. This scoping review examined the literature regarding the mental health
and impact of support for rural caregivers of children with ASD.
Eligibility criteria
Articles were limited to those available in the English language and conducted in
a high income country. Articles had to include a population of rural caregivers of
children with ASD and focus on caregiver mental health and/or the impact of support
on caregiver mental health.
Sample
Searches were conducted with Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, and PsycINFO and 22 articles
were included.
Results
Study findings indicate overall poor mental health for rural caregivers of children
with ASD. Formal and informal support appear to be beneficial in decreasing stress
for rural caregivers of children with ASD. However, a few studies indicated that formal
support may add stress to rural caregivers.
Conclusion
There is limited information regarding support needs and the impact of support services
on the mental health of rural caregivers of children with ASD.
Implications
There is a need to increase access to support resources in rural areas for caregivers
of children with ASD. Healthcare professionals, including nurses, can play a fundamental
role in supporting, educating, and connecting caregivers to other support services.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 18, 2021
Accepted:
June 14,
2021
Received in revised form:
June 6,
2021
Received:
February 16,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.