Self-Perceived Health of Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Relation with the Severity Level

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by deficits in reciprocal social interaction and communication which have a major effect on the quality of life of the parents. Self-perceived health of 124 ASD parents was investigated using the short-form health survey (SF-36) questionnaire. In a first step, comparative analysis was performed between a control group of parents and three groups of ASD parents classified according to the severity levels for autism spectrum disorder. In a second step, correlation analysis was performed between the self-perceived health of ASD parents and a continuous rating scale of the severity level of ASD children, determined with the Childhood Autistic Rating Scale (CARS) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G). Results show that as the severity level of ASD symptoms increase, mother's perception of their own health decreases. Statistical analysis revealed a very strong relationship between the Mental Health of the mothers and the ASD children, especially with the deficit in social interaction. Restrictive and repetitive behavior and difficulty in play have less direct impact on the quality of life of ASD mothers. The highest impairment in quality of life was observed for the mothers of severe autism children, in the time spent at work and the difficulty to perform activities, due to mental and physical problems. Relationship between fathers and ASD children is significantly lower than that observed for mothers, except for problems with work or other daily activities as a result of physical health. These finding must be taken into account to provide better and more focused support to ASD mothers, in order to improve the mental health and to reduce the difficulty in performing activities.

Weight status, diet quality, perceived stress, and functional health of caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder

“…With respect to caregivers’ perceived functional health and well‐being, we found no significant differences between groups in any of the 10 health domains, even when controlling for covariates. A study by Garriot and colleagues (Garriot, Villes, Bartolini, & Poinso, ) examined functional health and well‐being in a sample of 124 parents of children with ASD using the SF‐36 assessment tool. The results showed that between‐group differences across the SF‐36 subscales depended on children's level of severity of ASD.…”

The Caregiver Health Effects of Caring for Young Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Meta-analysis

“…In the caregiver burden model (Raina et al 2004), direct relationships between caregiving for a child with any degree of functional impairment and caregiver psychological and physical ill health are modified by different child disability diagnoses and socioeconomic factors. For example, caregiving for a child with autism, severe impairment or behavioral problems have been associated with greater ill health, and socioeconomic advantage with lesser ill health (Chatel Garriot et al 2014;Plant and Sanders 2007;Roper et al 2014;Shonkoff et al 1992).…”