The Effect of Stress and Burnout on the Well-Being of Parents who have Children on the Autism Spectrum and the Importance of Training Programs

Abstract

Purpose:  The aim of the study is to show the level of stress and burnout experienced by parents who have children with the autism and its effect on well-being. Theoretical framework: Various studies show that parents who have children with autism have significant level of stress. Stress has a close relationship with parental Burnout, the effect of which directly affects their psycho-emotional well-being.  It is important that researchers present and recognize the society about the experiences and the psycho-emotional aspect of these parents in such a way that the competent institutions address specific programs, practices and methods in their studies and offer different information of a media and social nature, to protect and provide support of a social and psychological nature. Methodology: This is a quantitative study which is based on the application of two questionnaires. Instrument of data collection is a questionnaire in which Berry and Jones (1995) Parental Stress Inventory (PI) is integrated as well as questionnaire of Burnout   at parents by ’Isabella Roskam, Moira Mikolajczak, Maria Bayot (2018). The study was conducted in several centers in the city of Elbasan. The sampling selection was based on parents who have children with autism spectrum. Result: From the data of the study, it was found that the stress experienced by the parents in the growth and education of the children directly affected the experience of psychological or physical exhaustion. This directly affects their relationship with the child as well as different aspects of life. Contribute and  Social implications: This study aims to raise awareness of the importance of implementing informative programs and training modules in the future. The goal is to increase the level of psycho-emotional well-being of parents and raise awareness in society and   also to encourage instances with higher education institutions for the most successful implementation of social, educational, and informative support. Originality/value: The findings of this study can help to increase the level of information and awareness of parents and the community on the importance of psychosocial and emotional well-being on the growth, development and education of children and specifically children with autism spectrum. Such research will help policy makers to consider parental well-being in the future when developing different programs and strategies. Also, this study serves to promote the realization of such studies to identify elements that influence socialization, the psycho- emotional aspect and the challenges faced by parents who have children with autism spectrum.

Received: 6 February 2025 / Accepted: 27 March 2025 / Published: 08 May 2025