Kristina Rossetti

Resourcefulness, a collection of problem-solving, coping, self-control, and emotion regulation skills, has been shown to moderate health outcomes in various caregiver populations. Caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), report higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms with poorer health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The current study replicated and extended psychometric research on the Resourcefulness Scale (RS) among caregivers of children with ASD (n = 287) and a comparison group of caregivers of non-affected children (n = 207). Results suggest acceptable internal consistency and construct validity when using the RS among caregivers of children with and without ASD. The RS demonstrated poor temporal stability over an average of 4-weeks (r =.087, p =.434). Caregivers of children with ASD report higher levels of general, social, and personal resourcefulness than non-affected caregivers. Findings validate the use of the RS within caregiving populations with implications for clinical use and future research in the development of interventions to enhance caregiver quality of life. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

For mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), mealtimes can be stressful. Up to 90% of children with ASD present with problems related to food selectivity and disruptive mealtime behavior. Researchers have associated parent behaviors with maintained maladaptive feeding behaviors in children. Studies have also shown a positive association between children's feeding problems and maternal concern for their children's health, suggesting maternal anxiety and negative feelings may contribute to feeding issues. However, most research and subsequent interventions focus primarily on children. Cross-sectional data was gathered from sixty-four mothers of children aged 2–8 with ASD visiting a developmental/behavioral pediatric clinic in the Southeastern U.S. who completed the Behavioral Pediatric Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS), assessing child feeding behavior and parent strategies for feeding problems, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), measuring anxiety currently (state) and as an enduring characteristic (trait). Over 50% of mothers reported clinical difficulties with child feeding. Significant associations were found between child feeding behaviors and parent feelings/strategies related to child feeding. Maladaptive maternal feelings and strategies were also significantly related to both total anxiety (r = .299, p = .027) and trait anxiety (r = .368, p = .006). Although maternal anxiety explained significant variance in child feeding behavior, parent mealtime feeling/strategies were the strongest predictors of child feeding problems. Maternal anxiety and maladaptive feeding strategies correlate with problematic child feeding behaviors, suggesting that maternal feelings and strategies may contribute to the development and maintenance of feeding behaviors in children with ASD. Treatments that address feeding problems in children with ASD may also need to address maternal behaviors.

ABSTRACT There has been a recent push for the incorporation of mental/behavioral health (M/BH) services within primary care (PC). The present study aimed to assess current and desired services and perceived barriers to M/BH care. Participants were 153 parents of pediatric PC patients (age range = 4–15). Parents were primarily female (93.5%), African American (68.8%), and low income (78.4%). Parents desired more M/BH assistance than what they received and were most likely to seek M/BH services if provided in the PC setting. Tangible barriers were most commonly cited. Findings have implications for M/BH service implementation in PC.