Care Burden and Care Needs of Mothers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

This research was conducted to determine the care burden and care needs of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder and factors related to these.

This study employed a cross-sectional study design. The survey consisted of demographic questions as well as two questionnaires assessing care burden and care needs.

The value obtained from the Zarit Care Burden Scale in the study shows that the care burden of mothers is at the medium level (47.15 ± 11.89). It was determined that variables such as mother's age, education level of the mother, family education/counseling status, and discrimination/exclusion were affected by the burden of care. Expressions related to the care of the child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder such as "Encountering negative expressions and behaviors of other people in social settings," "The society's insufficient knowledge about autism spectrum disorder," and "My child constantly needs my care" were found to be the top three problems experienced by mothers.

The information provided by studies on this subject will guide child and adolescent psychiatric nurses in terms of developing the right approaches for individuals with these disorders and their relatives.