Perception of Burden and Stress among Mothers of Autistic Children in Pakistani Cultural Backdrop

Objective: To explore the perceived burden and stress among mothers of autistic children. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Riphah International University over a period of 4 months from October, 2020 to January, 2021. Sample was recruited using non-probability convenience sampling and comprised of N=84, 23- 60 years old mothers of children aged 3-16 years with autism spectrum disorder from different special education centers of Lahore. Demographic questionnaire, Parental Stress Scale (PSS) and Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) were used to collect the data which was analyzed by SPSS version 22.   Results: Mothers predominantly suffered moderate to severe [45(53.6%)] burden with a high mean Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) (41.75±10.62) and Parental Stress Scale (PSS) mean score (48.67±8.04) with significant positive correlation between two scores (r=.585,p=0.000). A significant association was noted for mother’s stress with severity of autism (p=0.006) and child’s medication (p=0.008); and mother’s burden with child’s age (p=0.019). Discussion: According to the findings of the current study, it can be concluded that mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder perceived high level of burden and stress. The association was seen with factors including children’s age, severity level and child’s medication.