Abstracts for the 15th International Conference on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (ICCAP 2023), Kuching, Sarawak (on Borneo Island), August 7 – 9, 2023

Background: Children with ASD appear to have limitations to perform daily living activities and may require lifelong support to facilitate their disability.Covid-19 has disrupted the children's routine hence intensifying the parent's stress.Lack of knowledge on the disorders, and treatment of ASD contributes to deteriorating and affecting the parents' mental health.A digital approach has been gradually promoted as part of seeking information tools for them.Aims: This study aims to explore the roles of digital technology and its impact on the mental health of parents of children with ASD in Malaysia.Methods: An in-depth interview was conducted with three pairs of parents of children with ASD (two Malay, one Chinese parent).The interview guideline was prepared following the objectives of the study.Results: Three themes emerged for the roles of digital technology in sustaining mental health among parents with ASD children were identifi ed: (i) the digital technology as support tool to cope with ASD children (ii) mental health and Covid-19 and (iii) strategy in coping and seeking-help of parent.Digital technology benefi ts in providing information, buying therapeutic tools, fulfi lling parent personal interest to release stress (e.g., online games, cooking channel), sharing emotions and experience virtually with other parents of ASD children. Conclusion:Most parents explained that the pandemic made digital technology a search tool despite control of usage.This study contributes to further evidence on the digital technology and mental health of parents of children with autism in the Malaysian context.