Qualidade de vida de cuidadores de adolescentes com transtorno do espectro autista: uma revisão da literatura

Quality of life in caregivers of Autism Spectrum Disorder adolescents: a literature review

Abstract

Objective: To explore scientifi c publications addressing the quality of life among the caregivers of adolescents with
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Methods: Review survey of papers indexed in the Lilacs, SciELO and Medline / PubMed
electronic databases between 2009 and 2013, with abstracts. The following healthcare descriptors were used: adolescent,
autism, quality of life and caregivers. Results: Eighteen papers were selected that met the inclusion criteria. Some discussed
the quality of life among the caregivers of adolescents with ASD, associating this to activities requiring integrated systemic
approaches; rating the environment domain as the worst performance and the physical domain as the best performance;
linking better education and higher family incomes to perceptions of this quality of life and overburdens. Other papers discussed parameters such as psychosocial problems among adolescents with autism; the lack of professional knowledge
among practitioners working with ASD patients; signs of depression among the mothers of ASD patients; the development
of social skills and the implementation of vocational training programs for these youngsters with ASD; community support
as a better way of dealing with problems; stronger social safety nets fostering greater well-being among mothers; and
higher stress levels among mothers responsible for adolescents with ASD. Conclusion: Due to its complexity, there is a
pressing need to understand ASD, with a better understanding of adolescence among people with ASD being a noteworthy
subject for study. Caregiver health promotion programs should be implemented with the educational purpose of easing the
diffi culties of handling the problems facing these youngsters.