Adult Outcomes in Typically-Developing Siblings of Individuals with an ASD with Respect to Childhood Parentification

Background:  Research examining the outcomes of sibling parentification (taking on responsibilities and caregiving duties typically reserved for parents) in typically-developing individuals who have a sibling with ASD remains unclear.  Some researchers have suggested that parentification or increased responsibilities in typically-developing siblings could lead to negative outcomes (Barak-Levy et al., 2010) including poor sibling relationships (Seltzer et al., 2009) or later depressive symptoms and psychological distress (Hooper et al., 2011).  However, research also shows that siblings who experienced sibling-focused parentification exhibited fewer negative outcomes than siblings who experienced parent-focused parentification, and siblings who reported higher levels of perceived benefits of parentification experienced lower levels of psychopathology (Hooper et al., 2011). 

Objectives:  This study sought to examine parentification in typically-developing adult siblings in more detail.  It was predicted that sibling-focused parentification and high perceived benefits of parentification would relate to positive outcomes with respect to the adult sibling relationship and psychological functioning, whereas parent-focused parentification would relate to negative outcomes in these areas.

Methods:  Fifty-three typically-developing adult siblings [85% female; ages 18-68 (M = 30.58, SD = 13.7)] of individuals with an ASD participated.  Siblings completed a demographic form, the Parentification Inventory (PI; Hooper, 2009) to assess childhood history of parentification, the Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale (LSRS; Riggio, 2000) to assess attitudes toward the sibling relationship, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) to assess current depressive, anxious, and stress symptoms.

Results:  Generally speaking, parent-focused parentification appeared to be unrelated to sibling relationship attitudes.  The one exception was a significant positive correlation between parent-focused parentification and adult sibling relationship behavior (r = .34; p = .01).   Alternatively, sibling-focused parentification positively related to adult affective (r = .34; p = .01), behavioral (r = .47; p < .001), and cognitive (r = .37; p = .01) relationship aspects, as well as child affective (r = .40; p = .003), behavioral (r = .39; p = .003), and cognitive (r = .48; p < .001) relationship aspects. Furthermore, perceived benefits of parentification were positively related to adult affective (r = .41; p = .002), behavioral (r = .41; p = .002), and cognitive (r = .50; p < .001) relationship aspects and child affective (r = .58; p < .001), behavioral (r = .41; p = .003), and cognitive (r = .58; p < .001) relationship aspects. Also, parent-focused parentification was significantly related to increased levels of anxiety (r = .36; p = .01) and increased levels of stress (r = .38; p = .01).  However, sibling-focused parentification was not significantly related to symptoms.  Perceived parentification benefits were significantly negatively related to current depressive (r = -.50; p < .001) and stress symptoms (r = -.34; p = .01). 

Conclusions:  Parent-focused parentification may be related to poorer psychological well-being in adults, whereas sibling-focused parentification and perceiving benefits of parentification relate to better sibling relationships, indicating a possible positive, protective role against later distress.  These findings indicate a potential intervention point when working with those with an ASD and their families.