Title: Factors affecting quality of life among parents having a child with autism spectrum disorder in Jeddah, 2019

Abstract

Background: Nurturing a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can cause major distress. As a result, these parents tend to experience a poor quality of life (QoL) compared to those raising typically developing (TD) children. Objectives: To evaluate the factors which affect the QoL of parents raising children clinically-diagnosed with ASD in Jeddah, and to provide knowledge for the establishment of comprehensive policies and projects that can improve their mental well-being. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was utilized to assess 200 parents of children clinically-diagnosed with ASD at least 3 months prior to the research. A self-administered WHOQOLBREF questionnaire was employed to assess the QoL of participants through four domains, namely physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships, and environment. Results: Most of the participants were female (58.5%), married (87.0%), and employed (56.5%). Majority completed high school (68.5%), lived in the city (95.5%) and rented their homes (88.5%). Quality of life was significantly affected by gender, employment, social status, and educational attainment of participants. Parents with higher educational attainment and employment and social status exhibited better. Furthermore, female parents experienced lower QoL and more depressive symptoms than males. Conclusion: Gender, educational attainment, and both employment and social status significantly affected the QoL of parents raising children diagnosed with ASD. Furthermore, improving the physical health, psychological, social relationships, and environment of these parents would give them a better QoL and health satisfaction.