We provide a conceptual model on the complex interaction between stress, psychological predisposition, and personality traits, accounting for gender, in parents of children with and without autism. We performed a path analysis using a structural equation modeling approach in a sample of parents including 60 ASD and 53 TD couples. In parents of typically developing children (TD), depression level and age are the main direct predictors of stress through the mediating effect of anxiety. Otherwise, in the ASD parent group, the personality trait 'openness' directly predicts the defensive response and stress levels without the mediating effect of anxiety. Our data suggest a route of action in promoting new behavioral strategies to prevent parenting stress, making families run smoothly.
Keywords: anxiety; autism; depression; parents; stress; structural equation modelling.