Feelings of hopelessness in mothers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare feelings of hopelessness in mothers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The statistical population of the study included all mothers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders in Shiraz, Iran. The sample consisted of 150 mothers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, including 50 mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 50 mothers of children with intellectual disability (ID), and 50 mothers of children with specific learning disorder (SLD) and they were selected by convenience sampling method. The data were collected during the years 2015–2016. The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS; Beck et al.) was used for measuring the feelings of hopelessness. The one-way ANOVA and MANOVA tests were used for the data analysis. The results showed that the feelings of hopelessness and the two subscales of feelings of hopelessness, i.e. negative expectations of the future and the loss of motivation in association with the future, in mothers of children with ASD were significantly higher than those of the other two groups of mothers. It was also observed that mothers of children with ID, compared to mothers of children with SLD, had higher levels of feelings of hopelessness, negative expectations of the future, and negative feelings in association with the future. Additionally, the findings revealed that mothers of children with ASD, compared to mothers of children with SLD, had higher levels of negative feelings in association with the future. Therefore, adopting preventive and intervention programs which can help mothers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, especially mothers of children with ASD, to overcome their feelings of hopelessness are of great importance.