Parental Burnout in Israeli Parents of Children with ASD During Wartime: The Role of Child Behavior, Parental Emotion Regulation, Stress, and Social Support.

This study looked at how parents cope during wartime, comparing families with autistic children to those with typically developing children. Parents of autistic children experienced much higher levels of burnout, stress, and emotion regulation problems, while receiving less social support. Their children also showed more challenging behaviors during the war. The research suggests families with autistic children need extra support during crisis situations, particularly help with managing emotions, reducing stress, and building social connections.

This cross-sectional study examined parental burnout in 213 Israeli parents (101 with autistic children, 112 with typically developing children) during the 'Swords of Iron' War. Parents of autistic children experienced significantly higher levels of parental burnout, emotion regulation difficulties, and stress, alongside lower perceived social support compared to parents of typically developing children. Their children also showed more behavioral problems during wartime conditions. Moderation analyses revealed that emotion regulation difficulties, social support, and stress influenced the relationship between child behavioral problems and parental burnout, but specifically among parents of typically developing children.

The findings highlight the particular vulnerability of families with autistic children during crisis situations and suggest targeted interventions focusing on emotion regulation, social support, and stress management are needed.

Families with autistic children require prioritized crisis support services focusing on emotion regulation training, stress management, and social support enhancement. Standard family support frameworks may be insufficient during emergencies for autism families, necessitating specialized intervention protocols that address heightened vulnerability during crisis situations.

Cross-sectional design limits causal inferences. Purposive sampling may introduce selection bias. Study conducted during specific wartime context may limit generalizability to other crisis situations or peacetime conditions. No pre-war baseline data available for comparison.

During emergencies like wartime, parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face heightened challenges, potentially leading to Parental Burnout (PB). Wartime conditions can exacerbate children's behavioral difficulties, contributing to PB. Protective factors such as successful Emotional Regulation (ER) and perceived social support may mitigate PB. This study aims to compare child behavioral problems, parental ER difficulties, perceived social support, stress, and PB between parents of children with ASD and Typical Development (TD) during wartime.

It also investigates how ER difficulties, perceived social support, and stress moderate the relationship between child behavioral problems and PB. The study included 213 Israeli parents: 101 parents of children diagnosed with ASD and 112 parents of TD children. Participants were recruited during the "Swords of Iron" War using purposive sampling via online platforms. Findings indicate that children with ASD exhibited higher levels of behavioral problems, and their parents experienced increased difficulties in ER, stress, and PB, alongside decreased perceived social support compared to parents of TD children.

Moderation analysis revealed that ER difficulties, perceived social support, and stress moderated the direct association between child behavioral problems and PB specifically among parents of TD children. This study underscores the heightened vulnerability of parents with ASD-diagnosed children during wartime, emphasizing the importance of understanding how these circumstances impact parental well-being and available resources. Effective interventions should target enhancing ER, social support, and addressing parental stress, PB, and child behavioral issues, underscoring the need for prioritized services despite wartime challenges.