Emotional and Behavioural Problems among Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder-Parent Reported

Abstract

Background: Among the neurodevelopmental disorders, prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing throughout the world, so on in Bangladesh. Siblings of children with ASD who share common genetic and environmental background are at risk for developing mental illnesses. Most of the time their condition is not being explored and they are needed to be brought under the umbrella of mental health service. Aim of the study: To identify the emotional and behavioral problems among 4-17 years siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Parent Version. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study carried out at the Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Pediatric Neurodisorder and Autism (IPNA) at BSMMU during the period of October 2021 to September 2023. In total, 60 parents (father/mother) who had children with ASD were purposefully enrolled for the study. After taking their informed written consent, they were interviewed using a semi- structured sociodemographic and relevant information questionnaire along with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire – Parent Version. Interview was carried out in face-to-face self-report format. Ethical clearance was taken from Institutional Review Board of BSMMU and ethical issues were addressed throughout the study. Data were collected by the researcher and analyzed using SPSS 28.0 software. All comparisons were considered significant if p< 0.05. Result: Mean age of the siblings was 10.07±3.05 years with a range between 4 to 17 years. In terms of difficulty sub-scales of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, conduct problems were present in 28.3% siblings, emotional problems in 25%, hyperactivity problems in 15%, peer problems in 11.7%. As per parent’s report and after considering impact score, 6.7% of siblings had emotional disorder, 8.3% conduct disorder and 15% had hyperactivity disorder. Female siblings were more likely to have emotional disorder while male siblings were more likely to have conduct disorder and hyperactivity disorder. Factors such as age for conduct disorder, having just one sibling with autism for emotional and hyperactivity disorder, increased caregiving time for the ASD child and family history of mental illness contributed to the risk of developing specific disorders. First born siblings also had increased risk of hyperactivity disorder. Conclusion: The findings indicate that emotional disorder, conduct disorder and hyperactivity disorder were present in much higher proportions among these siblings. It highlights the importance of understanding the specific risks and needs of siblings in families affected by autism.