Stress Management Training among Mothers with Autistic Children Referred to Autism Centres in Tehran

Abstract

Introduction: Parental mental health can be strongly influenced by a child with a disability such as autism. This disorder involves a wide range of behaviours and in particular social behaviours. Aim: To investigate the impact of stress management training on the stress level of mothers with autistic children referred to the selected autism centres of Tehran. Materials and Methods: The present quasi-experimental study was a clinical trial that included 70 mothers with autistic children who were referred to autism centres in Tehran from October 2016 to September 2017. A random stratified sampling method was used to select the centres. The data collection tool was demographic information questionnaire and Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS). The research was conducted in three stages (before intervention, during intervention, and after intervention) and the collected data were analysed using SPSS software, version 16.0. Results: According to the findings, 51 (72.9%) of the participants before the stress management training had moderate stress and most of them 46 (65.7%) had mild stress levels after intervention. Paired t-test (p<0.001) showed significant difference between stress before and after stress management training. Conclusion: Based on the results of the research, stress management education can be considered as an important part of interventions to promote mental health of mothers with autistic children.

Keywords

• autism disorder
• disability
• stress disorder