Abordaje no farmacológico de la ansiedad en niños y adolescentes con Trastorno del Espectro Autista: Revisión para orientar la práctica enfermera

Paula Bernabéu Giménez; Rocio Juliá-Sanchis

doi:10.14198/DCN.30316

Autores/as

Paula Bernabéu Giménez Estudiante en el Departamento de Enfermería. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad de Alicante., España https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0574-438X
Rocio Juliá-Sanchis Universidad de Alicante, España https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1086-282X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14198/DCN.30316

Palabras clave:

Adolescencia, Ansiedad, Trastorno del espectro autista, Enfermería, Pediatría

Resumen

Se estima que el Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA) afecta al 1% de la población mundial, asociándose en el 50% de los casos a trastornos de ansiedad. En la población infantojuvenil, esta comorbilidad supone un desafío relevante a nivel clínico, dada su alta prevalencia, presentación atípica e impacto negativo en la salud física, mental y en la calidad de vida tanto del menor como del entorno familiar. Las limitaciones y efectos adversos de los tratamientos farmacológicos sumados al diagnóstico cada vez más precoz y las frecuentes hospitalizaciones, destacan la relevancia de explorar estrategias alternativas tempranas para su manejo desde el ámbito de enfermería. Este estudio identificó las intervenciones no farmacológicas más efectivas en el manejo de los trastornos de ansiedad en pacientes infantojuveniles con TEA, en función de la reducción de la sintomatología, la mejora en la regulación emocional y conductual y el impacto en la calidad de vida, considerando la edad y el contexto. Se realizó una revisión de la bibliografía en cinco bases de datos (PubMed, CINAHL/EBSCOhost, Scopus, PyscInfo e IBECS) obteniendo 270 artículos. Tras eliminar duplicados y aplicar los criterios de inclusión y exclusión en dos fases de cribado, se seleccionaron 26 artículos publicados entre 2015 y febrero de 2025. Los resultados se han agrupado en 3 temáticas principales: (1) regulación de la sintomatología ansiosa, (2) impacto en la regulación emocional y conductual, (3) mejoras en la calidad de vida del paciente y su entorno, considerando diferencias por edad y contexto. Las intervenciones basadas en Terapia Cognitivo-Conductual específicamente adaptadas al TEA y con implicación activa parental parecen ser las más efectivas para la reducción de la ansiedad en niños y adolescentes. Se recomienda que futuras investigaciones mejoren el rigor metodológico, corrijan sesgos de representación y validen intervenciones tanto en contextos hispanohablantes como hospitalarios.

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