What do parents of children with autism spectrum disorder think about their quality of life? A qualitative study
نویسندگان
1 Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3
doi
چکیده
BACKGROUND: Living with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can affect differentaspects of parents’ physical and mental health and quality of life. This study aimed to identify parents’perceptions of their quality of life and factors influencing such perceptions and investigate how theycope with difficulties in their daily lives.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted using a qualitative research design to gaininsight into how children with ASD may influence their parents’ quality of life. A total of 31 parentsand school counselors were selected by the snowball sampling method in autism schools in Tehranin the academic year 2018–2019. Semi‑structured interviews were used to collect the data. Eachinterview was held based on a preprepared guideline by the researchers. In‑depth questions werealso asked as needed. Finally, the data were analyzed using the content analysis approach.RESULTS: The participants reported a variety of difficulties and crises to cope with in their dailylives. The factors reported to decrease the quality of life were categorized into six main themes and20 subthemes. The main themes included “family interactions,” “parenting,” “daily living,” “health,”“financial issues,” and “community‑related.”CONCLUSIONS: Due to the diversity and multilevel factors affecting the quality of life of parentshaving children with ASD, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive approach with the participationof all stakeholders in the development, design, and implementation of future interventions.
