Caregiving for Youth with Co-Occurring Developmental Disabilities and Behavioral Health Issues When Caregivers Face Additional Health-Related Stressors: Analysis of Risk and Protective Factors From a National Sample

Caring for a child with a developmental disability can be stressful and may be particularly difficult when additional stressors are added. Risk and protective factors for caregivers of children with developmental disabilities were compared for families with no, minor, or major additional health concerns. These caregivers handled extreme levels of stress (e.g., emotional, financial, relational) related to their child’s disorder, but more support from family and friends seemed to buffer caregiver stress.