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https://doi.org/10.31299/hrri.62.1.3
Self-assessment of the psychophysical health of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder
Sanja Skočić Mihić
orcid.org/0000-0001-6985-4213
; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Teacher Education, Sveučilišna avenija 6, Rijeka, Croatia
Nataša Vlah
orcid.org/0000-0003-3965-0927
; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Teacher Education, Sveučilišna avenija 6, Rijeka, Croatia
*
Tamara Rogović
orcid.org/0009-0006-4889-9395
; Dječji vrtić Matulji, Šetalište Drage Gervaisa 4, Matulji, Croatia
*
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
Parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder involves substantial and ongoing demands that may adversely affect parents’ health and wellbeing. Parental wellbeing is essential not only for the parents themselves, but also for ensuring that the child receives adequate care and support. The aim of this study was to examine parents’ self-assessments of psychophysical health across eight SF-36 domains and to explore their associations with selected sociodemographic characteristics. Data were collected using the Croatian version of the SF-36 questionnaire based on a sample of 139 parents. The results indicate a consistent pattern of reduced psychophysical wellbeing across multiple domains, with the most pronounced difficulties observed in vitality, mental health, and role limitations due to emotional problems. In comparison with Croatian normative data, these patterns suggest persistently lower and potentially intensified reductions in wellbeing relative to earlier Croatian findings (Benjak et al., 2009). Strong intercorrelations among health domains highlight the interconnected nature of physical and psychological wellbeing, while the absence of significant associations with sociodemographic variables point to the pervasive character of caregiving-related strain. Overall, the results point to the persistent and potentially increasing impact of caregiving demands on parental wellbeing, highlighting the need for more systematic and accessible psychosocial support. Given the central role of parental wellbeing in shaping their child’s outcomes, as well as in collaborating effectively with support systems, the findings suggest that existing forms of support may be insufficient in addressing the long-term needs of these families.
Ključne riječi
autism spectrum disorder; parents; quality of life, SF-36; psychophysical health
Hrčak ID:
348360
URI
Datum izdavanja:
29.6.2026.
Posjeta: 0 *