*6.3. Quality of Life*

Quality of life is a multidimensional concept that incorporates physical health, psychological state, social relationships, and relationships with salient features of the environment [68]. In line with a previous study in a Greek sample of mothers of children with ASD [2], a significant association was found between quality of life and coping mechanisms.

If we compare the two crises periods, no significant change was found in the first three domains, while a significant increase in the Environment subscale score was noted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The environment domain incorporates facets such as financial resources, opportunities for acquiring information, physical safety and security, accessibility to health services, transport, participation in leisure activities, and home environment. Although at first glance one would expect all these areas to be seriously affected by the pandemic crisis, it seems that during the economic crisis, the impact was even higher. There might be many explanations for this finding: as mentioned before, during the pandemic crisis the financial rescue funds alleviated many families from the financial strain. Moreover, information on the new coronavirus, which was the main health issue at the time, was available everywhere. Despite the fear of getting a COVID-19 infection, at that point the situation in Greece was quite satisfactory and staying at home gave a sense of safety. Access to health services was eliminated to emergencies but services did not shut down as they did during the financial crisis. Tele-medicine was available in many instances, and there was no need for transportation. There were no opportunities for outdoor leisure activities, but parents had more time to pursue hobbies at home. Finally, the home environment with social distancing and all kinds of tele-activities can be an autism-friendly environment and less stressful for both people with ASD and some parents with autism broader phenotype features.
