Caregivers of children with a disorder of sex development: Associations between parenting capacities and psychological distress

ObjectiveCaregivers of children with a disorder of sex development (DSD) are at increased risk for maladaptive parenting capacities, such as high levels of parental overprotection and perceived vulnerability of their child, in addition to parenting stress. The current study aims to examine whether there are relationships between these parenting capacities and psychological distress, including depressive and anxious symptoms.Patients and methodsParticipants included 134 caregivers of 90 children with a DSD. Caregivers completed measures of parental overprotection, perceived vulnerability, parenting stress, anxiety, and depression.ResultsHierarchical regression analyses revealed that higher levels of parenting stress were related to more anxious and depressive symptoms in caregivers. Higher levels of perceived vulnerability were related to more anxious symptoms. Levels of parental overprotection were unrelated to anxious or depressive symptoms.ConclusionsThere is a relationship between parenting capacities and mental health outcomes in caregivers of children with DSD, although the direction of this relationship is not clear. Given the strong relationships between parenting stress and anxious and depressive symptoms, targeting parenting stress and/or psychological distress in these caregivers could result in better functioning overall.