Elevated rates of PTSD seen in parents of children with ASD

Studies involving three separate parent cohorts in Denmark, Australia, and Italy indicate that parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In the first study, Kylie Hinde and colleagues surveyed 2,971 Danish and 692 Australian parents of autistic and neurotypical children. The researchers asked participants to fill out the International Trauma Questionnaire, the PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), and the Life Events Checklist, in order to determine if they had symptoms sufficient for a DSM-5-TR diagnosis of PTSD.

In addition, the researchers evaluated parents for “complex” PTSD, a diagnosis that is categorized as a separate disorder by the International Classification of Diseases-11 (ICD-11). Complex PTSD is associated with prolonged trauma and involves greater functional impairment than PTSD alone, and the researchers say it “may better account for the cumulative stress faced by parents of autistic children.”

The researchers report that in Denmark, 6.2% of parents of children with ASD exhibited criteria for a DSM-5-TR diagnosis of PTSD compared to 2% of parents of neurotypical children, and 3.6% met criteria for an ICD-11 diagnosis of complex PTSD compared to 0.9% of parents of neurotypical children. In Australia, 16.0% of parents of children with ASD met DSM-5-TR criteria for PTSD compared to 4.3% of parents of neurotypical children, and 11.8% met ICD11 guidelines for complex PTSD compared to 2.6% of parents of neurotypical children. (The researchers note that the variation between countries most likely stemmed from different techniques used to recruit participants.) The diagnostic concordance between DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 ranged from “fair” to “excellent.”

“These findings,” the researchers say, “emphasize the unique stressors faced by parents of autistic children, particularly in contexts where supports are limited or systemic barriers persist.”

In the second study, Claudia Carmassi and colleagues assessed 134 parents of children newly diagnosed with ASD. They report, “Approximately 10% of parents met DSM5-TR criteria for symptomatologic PTSD, with nearly 40% experiencing partial PTSD symptoms related to their child’s diagnosis.” Mothers had higher rates of PTSD than fathers, and the researchers detected a higher rate of PTSD among parents with higher subthreshold autism traits themselves.

The researchers conclude, “The results underscore the importance of targeted support strategies for parents, considering their key role in early interventions…. Further, our results highlight the relevance of recognizing the presence of significant autistic traits in the mothers and fathers, as these seem to represent a risk factor for PTSD symptomatology.”

Ciations

“The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD among parents of autistic children in Denmark and Australia,” Kylie Hinde, Silvia Pavan, Gert Martin Hald, David J. Hallford, Theis Lange, Mikkel Arendt, and David W. Austin, Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, December 8, 2025 (free online). Address: Kylie Hinde, [email protected].

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“Post-traumatic stress symptoms in parents of preschoolers first diagnosed with autism: gender differences and correlations with broad autism phenotypes,” Claudia Carmassi, Valerio Dell’Oste, Eugenia Conti, Sara Fantasia, Andrea Bordacchini, Berenice Rimoldi, Virginia Pedrinelli, Lorenzo Conti, Roberta Battini, and Sara Calderoni, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, October 28, 2025. Address: Claudia Carmassi, claudia. [email protected].