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Living under psychosocial pressure: Perception of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders
Author(s) -
Ebadi Mahsa,
Samadi Sayyed Ali,
MardaniHamooleh Marjan,
Seyedfatemi Naima
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of child and adolescent psychiatric nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.331
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1744-6171
pISSN - 1073-6077
DOI - 10.1111/jcap.12310
Subject(s) - psychosocial , psychology , stressor , perception , categorization , qualitative research , sociocultural evolution , developmental psychology , autism , social support , clinical psychology , psychiatry , social psychology , social science , philosophy , epistemology , neuroscience , sociology , anthropology
Problem Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience higher levels of stress compared to mothers of typically developing children. This study identified mothers' perceptions of the stress caused by lifelong caregiving to a child with ASD. Methods The current study was conducted in Iran using qualitative methods. In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with twenty‐seven mothers. Content analysis was used to analyze and categorize the data. Findings The main categories included (1) psychological concerns and suffering and (2) sociocultural challenges. The first category consisted of two subcategories, including disruption in mother–child relationships and fears and worries. Also, the second category included subcategories of cultural constraints and lack of social support. Conclusions In this study, the mothers of autistic children experienced psychosocial pain. Identifying the stressors for these mothers could lead to appropriate planning to provide psychological, social, and cultural support for them in Iranian society.