Assessment of health-related quality of life among primary caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Rahul Khanna, Sundareswaran Suresh Madhavan, Michael J. Smith, Julie H. Patrick, Cindy Tworek, Barbara Becker-Cottrill

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

166 Scopus citations

Abstract

The impact of caring for a child with autism on caregivers' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to compare the HRQOL scores of caregivers of children with autism to those of the general US population and to identify the factors that influence HRQOL. Caregivers of children with autism had lower HRQOL scores than the general population. Care recipient level of functional impairment, social support, use of maladaptive coping, and burden influenced caregiver mental HRQOL. Care recipient extent of behavioral problems and social support influenced caregiver physical HRQOL. Findings emphasize the use of multi-pronged intervention approach that incorporates components aimed at improving family functioning, increasing support services, and assisting caregivers in developing healthy coping skills.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1214-1227
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Volume41
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Sep 2011

Keywords

  • Autism
  • Burden
  • Caregiver
  • Health-related quality of life

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