The Relation Between Family Quality of Life and the Family-Centered Approach in Families With Children With an Intellectual Disability

Although family quality of life (FQOL) and the family-centered approach (FCA) are often conceptually linked, empirical research on their relation is scarce. This study investigated the relation between the FCA and FQOL in families with a child (0-18 years) with an intellectual disability receiving home-based support (HBS) in Flanders. The impact of the parental work situation and the child's support needs on FQOL (domains) were studied too. Through the Helpgiving Practices Scale (HPS) and the Enabling Practices Scale (EPS), parents of participating families (n = 58) reported about the FCA in their families' HBS. Using the Beach Center FQOL Scale, mainly mothers reported about their families' quality of life. The relation between the realization of the FCA, parental employment, and the child's support needs on the one hand, and FQOL on the other hand was studied via multiple regression analyses. Additionally, the best predicting model was determined for FQOL (domains). Globally, a positive relation between FQOL and the FCA was found. Dependent on the FQOL domain, a different relation was identified with the family-centered components. Components of the EPS (i.e., comfort and parental autonomy) were better predictors than those of the HPS. The parental work situation was a significant predictor for satisfaction regarding total FQOL (with and without disability-related support), family interactions, and parenting. The child's support needs were a significant predictor for emotional well-being. As the first of its kind, this study investigated the relation between FQOL and the FCA in detail. More, in depth, and especially long-term research is, however needed to fully understand the relation between FQOL and its contributors.