title: The association between child autism symptomatology, maternal quality of life, and risk for depression.
abstract: Parents raising children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been shown to experience high levels of stress and report a lower quality of life. The current study examined the association between child autism symptomatology, mother's quality of life, and mother's risk for depression in a sample of 1,110 mothers recruited from a web-based registry of families with children with an ASD. Higher autism symptomatology and a greater number of co-occurring psychiatric disorders in the child were associated with an increased risk for current treatment of maternal depression and a lower maternal quality of life. The results highlight the importance of screening for depression, particularly in mothers of children with ASD and mental health and behavioral challenges.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. bzablots@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zablotsky
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Law
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires