The Quality of Life of Iranian Mothers and Fathers of Children with Autism

Abstract

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that has life-long impacts on individuals and their families, who are the main caregivers. This study investigated the self-reported quality of life (QoL) of Iranian mothers and fathers and aimed to identify the predictors associated with higher scores on the World Health Organisation's QoL brief measure (WHOQOL-BREF), particularly those related to their child's autism.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with two national samples of parents: one in which the mothers and father were related (n = 119 families) and a second sample involving 383 unrelated mothers and fathers, making a total of 623 Iranian parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants completed self-report measures assessing QoL, perceived child-rearing stress, social support, and coping strategies as well as pertinent demographic information of themselves and their child. These were chosen on the basis of previous research. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis.

Results: There were few significant differences between mothers and fathers in both samples on the various rating scales. Regression analyses identified satisfaction with personal health and with their marriage, along with support from family as the main predictors of higher quality-of-life ratings. Access to professionals and positive interactions with their children augmented the contribution to parents' overall quality of life. The children's autism had minimal direct impact on the parental quality of life although it likely accentuated the importance to parents of the identified predictors.

Discussion: The findings support the case for services to adopt a family-centred approach to the support they provide and for a greater engagement with fathers. Three strands are proposed for future research: recruiting families who receive little or no support, the identification of strategies for meeting the personal needs of parents, and undertaking longitudinal studies of interventions to improve family quality of life and the outcomes these have on the person with autism.

Keywords: Iran; WHOQOL-BREF; autism; caregiving; coping; family; fathers; mothers; quality of life; stress.