The Effect of Emotional Intelligence on the Quality of Life of Mothers of Children with Autism

[Background]Having a child with autism spectrum disorder is a stressful event for parents. Mental health status of the parents of children with chronic disabilities has a considerable impact on welfare and development of their children. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and quality of life in mothers of children with autism.[Methods]In this descriptive analytic study, 50 mothers of children with autism, with the mean age of 33.9 years (SD = 6.8), referred to autism clinics in Tehran, were selected using convenience sampling method. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Iranian version of the short-form health survey (SF-36) and the emotional intelligence was measured by the Iranian version of H-Wesinger emotional intelligence inventory.[Results]Given the findings, there was a significant correlation between the scores of quality of life and the emotional intelligence (r = 0.304, P = 0.032). Also, there existed a significant correlation between the subscale tests in the physical performance (r = 0.286, P = 0.044) and the Mental health (r = 0.293, P = 0.032).[Conclusions]The current study showed that the quality of life in mothers of children with ASD could be affected by emotional intelligence and the increased emotional intelligence is a factor to promote the quality of life. In addition, there is a positive relationship between emotional intelligence, mental health, and physical performance. High emotional intelligence is effective in improving the status of these 2 areas.