vi. Impact statement
Reduced caregiver QoL may negatively impact their ability to care for a child with atopic dermatitis. This is the first study to examine the role of illness beliefs and self-efficacy in the QoL of a population of caregivers of children with atopic dermatitis. Our results suggest that a caregiver’s view of the consequences of their child’s atopic dermatitis and their emotional response has a greater effect on their QoL than the objective severity of the child’s condition. Whilst self-efficacy mediates between most illness perceptions and QoL, it does not between emotional representations and QoL. Therefore, clinicians and intervention designers should consider taking into account and/or addressing caregiver illness beliefs and self-efficacy in order to support parents.