Affiliate stigma in autistic and non-autistic parents of autistic children and the association with traumatic stress symptomatology.

This study investigated the experience of affiliate stigma among autistic and non-autistic parents of autistic children in Denmark. The results showed a significant association between traumatic stress symptom severity and parent affiliate stigma whereby the more severe the traumatic stress symptoms experienced by a parent, the more affiliate stigma they experienced. The present study indicates that parents of autistic children may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing affiliate stigma, and highlights the relevance of traumatic stress as a contributing factor in the development and maintenance of affiliate stigma.