A study on depression, anxiety and stress levels of mothers with autistic children

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a disease that changes a child's life and has effects on the family as well as the child, especially the caregivers' mothers. This descriptive study aims to examine the depression, anxiety and stress levels of mothers of children enrolled in an autism center in Iraq. The study was carried out between September 2022 and May 2023, and the mothers of 218 children registered at the Dhi Qar Autism Center in Nasiriyah, Iraq participated. Research data were collected with Personal Information Form and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). As a result of the study, it was revealed that the majority of the participants were 40 years old and over, had two children, could read and write, and their income did not cover their expenses. It was observed that mothers had severe depression, very severe anxiety and moderate stress. It was determined that the intelligence level of the child made a significant difference for anxiety, and the anxiety level was higher in mothers with borderline or low intelligence levels. In addition, there was a strong positive correlation between depression and anxiety (r=0.647, p<0.001) and a weak positive correlation between depression and stress (r=0.219, p=0.001). Based on all these results, it is recommended that the healthcare team provide treative, preventive and mental healthenhancing support for mothers.