Self-reported psychological disorders among the mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and typically developed children.

Abstract

Background: To assess the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), type 1 diabetes, and typical development (TD), in a geographical area where such data are lacking.Method: The study sample comprised a group of mothers of children with ASD (group 1; n=126), a group of mothers of children with diabetes mellitus (group 2; n=43), and a control group of mothers of children with TD (n=116).Results: On the DASS-21, both groups 1 and 2 had higher mean scores for depression (37.86), anxiety (4.58), and stress (29.81) than the control group (P=0.015). On the PSS-14, the mean score was higher in group 2 (28.63) than in group 1 (27.61) and the control group (25.87) (p=0.004). On the DASS 21, group 1 scored higher in the depression domain (p=0.046), whereas group 2 scored higher in the anxiety domain (p=0.034) and stress domain (p=0.009) than the TD group.Conclusion: Mothers of children with ASD should be assessed for the presence of depression following diagnosis. Mothers of children with type 1 diabetes require careful monitoring for the effects of anxiety and stress on their mental health and therefore their ability to cope with diabetes management plans.