Perception of Burden and Stress Among Mothers of Autistic Children in Pakistani Cultural Background

Abstract

Objectives: The study aimed to explore the perceived burden and stress among mothers of autistic children. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Riphah International University over 4 months, from October 2020 to January 2021. The samples were recruited using non-probability convenience sampling and comprised 84 mothers (23-60 years old) of children aged 3-16 years with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from different special education centers in Lahore. A demographic questionnaire, Parental Stress Scale (PSS), and Zarit burden interview (ZBI) were used to collect the study data, which were analyzed in SPSS v. 22 software. Results: Forty-five Mothers (53.6%) suffered from moderate to severe burden with a high Mean±SD ZBI (41.75±10.62) and Parental Stress Scale (PSS) scores (48.67±8.04). Also, there is a significant positive correlation between the two scores (r=0.585, P=0.000). A significant association was noted between the mother’s stress and the severity of autism (P=0.006) and the child’s medication (P=0.008), also between the mother’s burden and the child’s age (P=0.019). Discussion: According to the current study’s findings, mothers of children with ASD perceived a high level of burden and stress. The association was seen with factors of children’s age, severity level, and child medication.