Qualidade de vida dos familiares de pessoas com Transtorno do Espectro Autista

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by behavioral manifestations, deficits in communication and social interaction and restricted interests, which interfere in the development of people affected by it, and their families are subject to several stressors in dealing with the daily routine of care, which can range from negative aspects such as: frustration, depression and physical exhaustion to satisfaction in being able to provide well-being to their family member. The goal of this study is to analyze the life quality of relatives of people with autism spectrum disorder linked to the Raimundo Nonato Center, in Macapá city. This is a descriptive study with quantitative approach. The sample consisted of 26 relatives of 23 people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. For data collection, two questionnaires were used: the first one with semistructured questions that addressed sociodemographic items and the second, the Generic Questionnaire for Life Quality, which analyzes eight domains of life quality: Functional Capacity, Physical Aspect, Pain, General Health, Vitality, Social Aspects, Emotional and Mental Health Aspects: data analysis occurred by descriptive statistics, tabulation of simple frequencies, means and standard deviations, and the technique of content analysis for qualitative information. In the statistical analysis, non-parametric Mann-Whitney and Spearman Correlation Coefficient tests were used to study the correlation of domains with the degree of autism, age, schooling, salary range and number of children, with significance level p <0.05. Most subjects were female (73%), average 37.2 years old (± 6.3), married or in a stable union (77%), %), Catholic religion (65%) and family income between 2 and 5 minimum wages (58%). Highest score domains were: functional capacity (mean = 76.2) and mental health (mean = 65.4), while the lowest scores were: emotional aspects (mean = 52.2) and general condition (mean = 53.5). Subjective data confirmed the occurrence of changes in life quality due to the disorder, compatible with the analysis of quantitative data found. Results indicated that, even though life quality is not exclusively related to socioeconomic standards and educational level, these are associated with the possibility of effective interventions and re-signification of perception of changes in life quality of family members of people with autism spectrum disorder