A Study on Health-Related Quality of Life, Depression, and Associated Factors Among Parents of Children with Autism in Kermanshah, Iran

The focus of recent research has significantly shifted from explaining the causes and symptoms of autism to investigating issues related to the parents of autistic children.
This study aimed to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQOL), depression, and associated factors among parents of autistic children in Kermanshah, Iran.
In this cross sectional study performed in 2015, a total of 97 male and female parents of autistic children completed 3 questionnaires: background/demographic checklist, 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36), and beck’s depression inventory. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 18.
Analysis of the general physical health domain of HRQOL demonstrated no significant difference between men and women (P > 0.05). On the other hand, in all subdomains of mental health, women’s scores were higher in comparison with men, and there was a significant difference in the mental health domain. Also, analysis of depression level revealed that 25.8% of the subjects had severe depression.
Given the low level of QOL and depressive symptoms in more than two-thirds of parents of autistic children, psychological empowerment of this group is recommended.