Psychological Distress and Quality of Life among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Social Support as a Mediating Role
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/rl.2025.44145Keywords:
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Psychological Distress, Social Support, Quality of Life, PakistanAbstract
Parents of children with ASD experience psychological distress, lowering quality of life, but social support helps lessen negative effects. The objective of the study was to explore if, among Pakistani parentage of kids diagnosed with ASD, support from communal impacts on connection relating mental torment and attribute towards life. A cross-sectional survey of 100 parents of children with ASD conducted at Ayub Medical Complex (Abbottabad) and Haripur. Standardized mediums comprise the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and the WHOQOL-BREF. Mediation evaluated using 5,000 bootstrap samples using SPSS v25 and Hayes PROCESS Model 4. Result suggested that communal support (r = –.73, p <.01) and QoL (r = –.65, p <.01) were adversely correlated with psychological distress. QoL and social support were effectively correlated (r =.78, p <.01). Partial mediation strengthened (R² =.69, F = 111.82, p <.001) by the significant indirect cause of distress on QoL through social support (B = –0.24, 95% CI [–0.38, –0.10]). Associated parentages of male kids, parents of female children registered more distress (t = –7.72, p <.001). Distress had a solid implied effect on QoL through social support (B = –0.24, 95% CI [–0.38, –0.10]), which confirmed partial mediation (R² =.69, F = 111.82, p <.001). Related to parents of male children, parents of female children conveyed larger distress (t = –7.72, p <.001). The study concluded that social support fully mediates psychological distress and quality of life, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive interventions.
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