Levels of Perceived Stress, Caregiver Strain, Coping Strategies and Quality of Life among Caregivers of Children with (a) Physical Disability/Disabilities and Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders:A Comparative Study

Various studies have tried to assess the effects of stress on quality of life among caregivers. Stress was found to have a direct effect on the quality of life. However, few past studies have considered coping as a factor, to mediate stress and quality of life. Having conceptualized a stress-coping model (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) from literature, where the slightest variations in levels of stress and coping strategies would affect quality of life directly, this comparative study attempted to assess levels of stress, strain, coping strategies and quality of life between two groups of caregivers (one of children affected by (a) physical disability/disabilities and the other of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders). The study attempted to measure levels of perceived stress, caregiving strain, coping strategies and quality of life among caregivers of children with (a) physical disability/disabilities and caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The sample consisted of 25 caregivers of children with (a) physical disability/disabilities and 25 caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Perceived Stress Scale 14, Modified Caregiving Strain Index, Rao's Coping Checklist and the WHOQOL-BREF were used to measure the variables. Highly significant differences were found between both the groups in caregiving strain (p= 0.007), positive distraction as a coping strategy (p= 0.000), and social (p= 0.009) and environmental quality of life (p= 0.002). The age of the child (p = 0.000), number of members in the family caring for the child (p = 0.001), and the duration of the child's disability (p= 0.000) were also found to be highly significant between both groups. Pearson's product moment correlation analysis indicated that caregiving strain was highly correlated with social quality of life, and religion/faith strategy of coping was highly correlated with environmental quality of life in the group consisting of caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.