title: The impact of child's severity on quality-of-life among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: the mediating role of optimism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Investigate the impact of child severity and optimism on quality-of-life in parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Additionally, the role of optimism as mediator between child's severity and parental quality-of-life was also evaluated
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred three parents of children with ASD were recruited from the local autistic centers and schools in Bangkok, Thailand. A set of demographic information sheet, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), the Life Oriented Test-Revised (LOT-R), and the WHOQOL-BREF test were submitted for collecting parental information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using Pearson Correlation, a significant negative association was found between child's severity and parental quality-of-life while optimism was found to correlate positively with parental outcomes. The finding from path-analysis confirmed that impairment of language and repetitive behavior of an ASD child associated with optimism that, in turn, predicted level of parental quality-of-life in all domains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current findings assured a role of optimism as mediator between child's severity and parental quality-of-life. Implications for the development of intervention focused on enhancing parent's optimism were recommended.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Manika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wisessathorn
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Tanasugarn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chanuantong
authors.affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: Edwin B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013785:Thailand