Quality of Life of Mothers Having Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: mothering children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is widely identified to beassociated with life-long stressors and challenges that negatively impact the Quality of Life (QOL)of parents. The study aimed to assess the quality of life of mothers having children with autismspectrum disorder. Settings: The study was conducted in the Outpatient Psychiatric andNeurological Clinics of both the Main University Hospital and Smouha Specialized UniversityHospital in Alexandria. Subjects: A convenient sample of 100 mothers who have children withASD comprised the study subjects. Tools: Two tools were used to collect the necessary data;namely, Characteristics of Mothers and their Children with ASD Structured Interview Scheduleand Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory ™: Family Impact Module. Results: the overall parentfunctioning was low among 46% of mothers and moderate among 52% of them. Moreover, theoverall family functioning was low among 64% of mothers. Generally, the overall QOL was lowamong 54% of mothers whereas 46% had a moderate level. Conclusion: It can be concluded thatmothers of children with ASD are at high risk for impaired QOL across multiple domains of theirlives. Accordingly, the overall QOL was low among more than half of mothers with the remainingshowing moderate levels. Recommendations: A coordinated effort between governmental andnon-governmental organizations is essential for providing support for families having ASDchildren. This collaboration should prioritize providing financial assistance and social supportservices, particularly for low-income and underserved communities.