Examining Daily Impact of Mood and Quality of Social Support for Caregivers of Children on the Autism Spectrum

Background: Caregivers of children on the autism spectrum often report elevated levels of perceived stress which may lead to poorer ratings of quality of life (QOL), though this relation has not yet been investigated at the daily level. Caregiver daily mood and quality of social support may buffer the relation of perceived stress to QOL.Method: The current study utilizes mobile ecological momentary assessment (mEMA) to capture daily experiences to examine relations between perceived stress and QOL and the role of mood and quality of social support as mediators on the daily level specifically for caregivers of children on the autism spectrum (n = 52).Results: Results suggest that there is a significant relation between perceived stress and QOL within and across individuals. Further, positive mood buffered this relation across and within individuals, while better quality of social support buffered this relation only across individuals.Conclusions: Mood and quality of social support serve as buffers in the relation between perceived stress and QOL for caregivers of children on the autism spectrum. Interventions addressing perceived stress would benefit from specifically targeting daily mood and quality of social support to bolster caregiver QOL and well-being.