Abstract
Background: Families suffer from a lot of psychological pressure in accepting their child’s illness, especially if the disorders are affecting their mental and psychological development, such as autistic spectrum disorder. Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the extent of psychological distress among parents of children with autistic disorder and its association with the socio-demographic characteristics of their children with autism.Material and Method: A descriptive analytical study conducted during the period from January 15, 2023, to December 1, 2023, on a sample of voluntary participants consisting of 120 parents in Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital. Data were collected through the use of a constructed questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ28).Results: parents of children with autism suffer from psychological distress. The results indicated that the factors increasing psychological distress include being in the age group of 26 to 35 years, being divorced or widowed, experiencing a difficult economic situation, and being unemployed. The distress was more severe if the affected child was male. Psychological distress among parents was also significantly associated with attention deficit hyperactivity. Conclusion: The study indicated that autism is associated with stress among parents and caregivers of affected children. The additional requirements and care that a child with autism needs lead to an increased risk of psychological distress, depression, and anxiety among the child’s family or caregiver.
Article Type
Review
Recommended Citation
Alrabeeah, Noor Abdulmahdi and Al-Khafaji, Abdulzahra
(2025)
"Prevalence of psychological distress among parents of children with autism in Al-Diwaneyah province/Iraq,"
Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal: Vol. 21:
Iss.
2, Article 2.
Available at:
https://qmj.qu.edu.iq/journal/vol21/iss2/2
First Page
85
Last Page
90
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
