In the wake of COVID-19, the world has become a more uncertain environment—a breeding ground for stress and anxiety, especially for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study examined stress, anxiety, and coping in a data-driven, real-time assessment of 122 youth with and without ASD and their parents at the height of the COVID-19 shutdown and three-months later. Standardized measures were administered to ascertain stress and coping explicitly related to the pandemic (RSQ COVID-19-Child [self-report], Adult [self-report from the guardian of youth], Parent [report about child]) and anxiety (STAI-C, STAI-A). Multivariate, univariate analyses of variance and hierarchical regression were used. ASD youth endorsed more Trait anxiety and response to specific stressors (e.g., virus). Caregivers of youth with ASD (Adults) self-reported higher anxiety, yet scores were elevated for both groups. Adults of youth with ASD reported more stress, especially related to the virus, access to healthcare, and concern for the future. In the TD group, youth and adults used more Primary and Secondary Control Coping whereas ASD youth and adults used more Disengagement Coping. Adult stress was the primary predictor of parent perception of child stress as well as Child self-reported stress. While the ASD group was consistently high compared to the TD group, there were no significant changes over time for stress or anxiety. Results reveal striking differences in youth with ASD and their parents regarding stress, anxiety, and coping. Findings highlight the need for essential support, access to services, and strategies to enhance psychological and emotional well-being.

中文翻译：

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COVID-19 对患有和不患有自闭症的青少年及其父母的压力、焦虑和应对的影响

在 COVID-19 之后，世界变得更加不确定，成为压力和焦虑的温床，尤其是对自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 患者而言。该研究在 COVID-19 关闭高峰期和三个月后对 122 名患有和未患有 ASD 的青少年及其父母进行了数据驱动的实时评估，检查了压力、焦虑和应对情况。采用标准化措施来确定与大流行明确相关的压力和应对（RSQ COVID-19-儿童 [自我报告]、成人 [青少年监护人的自我报告]、父母 [关于孩子的报告]）和焦虑（STAI -C，STAI-A)。使用了多变量、单变量方差分析和分层回归。ASD 青少年更倾向于特质焦虑和对特定压力源（例如病毒）的反应。自闭症谱系障碍（成人）青少年的照顾者自我报告焦虑程度较高，但两组的得分均有所提高。患有 ASD 的青少年成年人报告的压力更大，尤其是与病毒、获得医疗保健和对未来的担忧有关。在 TD 组中，青少年和成人使用更多的初级和次级控制应对，而 ASD 青少年和成人使用更多的脱离接触应对。成人压力是父母感知儿童压力以及儿童自我报告压力的主要预测因素。虽然与 TD 组相比，ASD 组一直较高，但随着时间的推移，压力或焦虑没有显着变化。结果显示，患有 ASD 的青少年及其父母在压力、焦虑和应对方面存在显着差异。调查结果强调需要基本支持、获得服务、