Leisure, community, workforce participation and quality of life in primary and secondary caregivers of autistic children.
Protecting caregivers’ own leisure and work activities directly lifts their quality of life, no matter how stressed they are.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Davy et al. (2024) asked 110 primary and secondary caregivers of 7- to young learners autistic children to fill out an online survey.
They measured how often each caregiver took part in activities they personally enjoy—like sports, hobbies, or meeting friends.
They also asked about stress, social support, and overall quality of life.
What they found
Caregivers who kept doing their chosen leisure, community, or work activities reported higher quality of life.
This link stayed strong even when caregivers felt high stress or had little outside help.
Both moms and dads benefited the same way.
How this fits with other research
The result lines up with Davy et al. (2024) part 1, which showed that primary caregivers participate more when kids have stronger daily-living skills.
It extends García-López et al. (2016), who found that good couple coping lifts parental adaptation; here, personal activity participation adds another clear boost.
Pondé et al. (2023) looks like a contradiction—they found lower quality of life during Brazil’s COVID second wave. The difference is context: pandemic lockdowns blocked leisure options, while the current study captured everyday life when activities were possible.
Why it matters
You can raise caregiver well-being without first fixing every stressor. Ask both parents what activities matter to them—gym time, book club, part-time work—and build a schedule that protects those slots. Even thirty minutes a week can lift their quality of life, which in turn benefits the child.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Parents of Autistic children often modify their participation in leisure, social, and employment activities to meet the caregiving needs of their child. However, few studies have examined the impact this has on caregiver quality of life (QoL). The aim in the current study was to examine the role of participation in a range of activities on QoL amongst primary and secondary caregivers of school-aged Autistic children. Eighty-eight primary (93% mothers) and 63 secondary (91% fathers) caregivers of Autistic children (aged 7- to 12-years) participated in this cross-sectional study, with time pressure, participation, social support, parenting stress, and QoL measured via an online questionnaire. Compared to secondary caregivers, primary caregivers reported fewer employment hours, increased time pressure, less participation in desired activities, and higher perceived responsibility of domestic and child-rearing tasks. Similar levels of leisure frequency, parenting stress, and QoL were identified by both caregivers. Hierarchical regression revealed caregiver participation as important for QoL in both primary and secondary caregivers. However, when measures of caregiver well-being were added to the model, the unique contribution of participation to QoL was reduced, particularly for secondary caregivers. Overall, the findings demonstrate that despite differences in caregiver roles and responsibilities, participation in meaningful activities was important for QoL in all caregivers.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2024 · doi:10.1002/aur.3113