Table 2.
Description of the eligible studies with quality ratings (grouped by study design and in alphabetical order)
| Study | Country and study design | Outcome | Outcome measure | Disability diagnosis | Caregiver group (n) | Comparison group (n) | Case recruitment method | Comparison recruitment method | Child mean age for cases (in years)a | SES variablesb | Quality rating scores (n/total; quality rating) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower et al. (2005) | USA, longitudinal |
Depressive; symptoms Stress |
CES depression scale; Family impact questionnaire |
Autism Down syndrome Cerebral palsy |
14 12 10 |
136 | Disability services | Preschools/day care centres | 2.9 (SD 0.26) | Education, ethnicity, employment, income | 3/8 Fair |
| Gowen et al. (1989) | USA, longitudinal | Depressive symptoms | CES depression Scale | Mixed developmental disabilities | 21 | 20 | Intervention programmes | Birth records | 2.25 | Education, ethnicity, SES | 4/8 Fair |
| Jeans et al. (2013) | USA, longitudinal |
Depressive symptoms; Stress |
CES depression scale; Parenting stress index (1990) |
Autism | 100 | 8500 | Selected from pre-existing cohort | Same cohort | 4 (SD not provided) | Ethnicity | 5/8 Fair |
| Laxman et al. (2015) | USA, longitudinal | Depressive symptoms | CES depression scale | Autism | 50 | 2900 | Selected from pre-existing cohort | Same cohort | 4 (SD not provided) | Ethnicity | 6/8 Fair |
| Norlin and Broberg (2013) | Sweden, longitudinal |
Depressive symptoms; Stress |
Beck depression inventory II (revised); Family impact questionnaire |
Mixed developmental disabilities | 58 | 182 | Disability services | Birth records | 4.42 (SD 2.32); comparison 4.44 (1.71) | Education | 3/8 Fair |
| Dyson (1991) | Canada & USA, cross-sectional | Stress | Questionnaire on resources and stress | Mixed developmental disabilities | 55 | 5 | Disability services | Preschools, day-care centres, and primary grades | 4.4 (SD 1.4); comparison 4.3 (1.7) | Education, ethnicity, SES | 3/6 Fair |
| Eker and Tüzün (2004) | Turkey, cross-sectional | General health | Medical outcomes 36-item short form | Cerebral palsy | 40 | 44 | Health centre (inpatient) | Health centre (out-patient services) | 4.7 (SD not provided) | Education, employment | 3/6 Fair |
| Giallo et al. (2013) | Australia, cross-sectional | Fatigue | Fatigue assessment scale | Autism | 50 | 1122 | Parent support groups and disability services | A community sample | 4.20 (SD 1.26) | Education, employment | 1/6 Poor |
| Glenn et al. (2009) | UK, cross-sectional | Stress | Parenting stress index (1995) | Cerebral palsy | 80 | 460 | Disability services | N/S (Recruited in the USA) | 1.6 (SD 0.74); comparison 2 | Education, ethnicity, SES | 2/6 Fair |
| Hedov et al. (2002) | Sweden, cross-sectional | Stress | Parent perception inventory | Down syndrome | 86 | 87 | N/S | Birth records | 4.7 (SD not provided) | Education, employment | 3/6 Fair |
| Oelofsen and Richardson (2006) | UK, cross-sectional |
General health; Stress |
Heath perceptions questionnaire; Parenting stress index (1995) |
Mixed developmental disabilities | 59 | 45 | Disability services | Local preschools & matched by postcode | 3.66 (SD 0.76); comparison 3.64 (0.78) | Ethnicity, SES | 3/6 Fair |
| Quintero and McIntyre (2010) | USA, cross-sectional | Depressive symptoms; Stress |
CES depression scale Parenting daily hassles scale |
Autism | 20 | 23 | Intervention programmes | Recruitment via the cases | 4.35 (SD 1.12); comparison 3.72 (0.71) | Education, ethnicity, employment, income | 2/6 Fair |
| Roach et al. (1999) | USA, cross-sectional | Stress | Parenting stress index (1995) | Down syndrome | 41 | 58 | Regional research database | Birth announcements in local newspapers | 3.04 (SD 0.89); comparison 2.43 (1.14) | Education, employment, SES | 2/6 Fair |
| Scott et al. (1997) | Canada, cross-sectional | Depressive symptoms | Beck depression inventory | Down syndrome | 188 | 128 | Intervention programmes | Recruitment via the cases | 1.21; comparison 1.17 (SD not provided) | Income | 2/6 Fair |
CES Depression Scale Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale
aFor longitudinal studies, child age is given for the data collection point of the mean outcome used in the analysis. The age is the same for case and comparison groups unless otherwise stated
bSES socioeconomic status