Lower cardiovascular reactivity to acute stress in informal caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorder than in non-caregivers: Implications for health outcomes

• Caregivers showed lower sympathetic activity than non-caregivers.
• Higher sympathetic activity was related to more somatic symptoms in caregivers.
• Probably, caregivers suffer from an adaptation to stress mechanism.
• Adaptation to stress mechanism could be protective for health.

Caring for offspring with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with chronic stress. Such a situation could alter body homeostasis, and in turn, physiological systems associated with the stress response and health, such as the autonomic nervous system. The primary aim of the present study was to compare the cardiovascular response with a set of mental tasks in parents of people with (n = 34) and without (n = 36) ASD. The secondary aim was to explore a potential relationship between cardiovascular response and self-reported health. Caregivers had lower sympathetic activity than non-caregivers, especially during the acute stress period. Higher sympathetic activity was related to more self-reported somatic symptoms in caregivers. Further, caregivers were found to have lower sympathetic reactivity to the stressor, probably due to an adaptation mechanism. Such adaptation could be extremely important for protecting the health of caregivers.