"I have to put my own mask on first, but I can't": facilitators and barriers to mental health service use in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)

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dc.contributor.authorRoy, Rachel
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeMartin, Toby (Psychology)
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeReynolds, Kristin (Psychology)
dc.contributor.supervisorRoos, Leslie
dc.contributor.supervisorMontgomery, Janine
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-31T14:17:01Z
dc.date.available2023-08-31T14:17:01Z
dc.date.issued2023-05-17
dc.date.submitted2023-06-28T18:55:47Zen_US
dc.degree.disciplinePsychologyen_US
dc.degree.levelMaster of Arts (M.A.)
dc.description.abstractBackground: Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience elevated stress and poor mental health compared to parents of neurotypical children and children with other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Yet, these parents access mental health services at low rates, and information on barriers and facilitators to mental health service use is scarce. This study examined facilitators and barriers for accessing mental health support for parents of children with ASD in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Method: Two separate but related studies were conducted. Data were collected through 1) an online survey (N = 44) to quantify descriptive characteristics of those accessing and not accessing services, and 2) individual interviews (N = 10) with parents on mental health service use experiences. Results: Quantitative results indicated the majority of parents had accessed mental health services (N = 32), with the most common facilitator the belief that they needed them. For parents who did not access (N = 12) the most frequently reported barrier was having no time/energy. Parents, ‘on average’, reported clinically significant levels of parenting stress. Qualitative results generated themes related to barriers (lack of time, services, cost, flexibility, stigma, negative social influence) and facilitators (information gathering, advertisements, self-realization, accessibility, positive social influences). Impact: This study aimed to advance empirical knowledge on mental health service use in parents of children diagnosed with ASD. The results can inform targeted interventions and program development at organizations supporting families of children with ASD, having indirect implications for lower parental stress and improved child outcomes.
dc.description.noteOctober 2023
dc.description.sponsorshipFaculty of Graduate Studies (Tri-Council Master’s Supplemental Award and Top-Up Award), Research Manitoba Master’s Studentship Award, and the Susan Wright Bell Award for the Study of Developmental Disabilities
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1993/37525
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsopen accessen_US
dc.subjectMental health
dc.subjectFacilitators
dc.subjectBarriers
dc.subjectAutism spectrum disorder
dc.subjectService use
dc.title"I have to put my own mask on first, but I can't": facilitators and barriers to mental health service use in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
local.subject.manitobayes
oaire.awardTitleCanada’s Graduate Scholarship Master’s Award
project.funder.identifierhttps://doi.org/10.13039/501100000155
project.funder.nameSocial Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
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