Associations between parental protective factors and child behavioral problems in children with ADHD and ASD

Previous research in neurodivergent children has shown a relation between parental risk factors and child internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Yet, a paucity of studies has examined the association between parental protective factors and child outcomes. This study investigated the association between parental empowerment and resilience and the degree of internalizing and externalizing behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Data were collected through the the In Kaart register between September 2022 and February 2024. Children aged 5 to 15 years (M = 11.1, 32.9% female) with a diagnosis of ADHD and/or ASD were included. Parents (97.1% mothers) filled in questionnaires about their levels of resilience and empowerment, and about their children’s behavioral problems. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that younger child age and higher levels of parental resilience were associated with more externalizing behaviors. Child age did not significantly moderate the relation between resilience and externalizing behaviors. Nevertheless, the pattern observed in the data suggested potential age-related differences in how parental resilience is associated with child behavior. The preliminary findings suggest that resilience might be a mechanism for adapting to increased parenting demands associated with raising a neurodivergent child with problem behaviors. Furthermore, parental empowerment may not be directly associated with child problems, giving room for future research to delve into other factors that play a role in the association between parental protective factors and child outcomes. The current findings highlight the need to examine this relation in larger, more diverse samples.