This cross-sectional study explored stressful situations of caregivers related to life events of their children suffering from neurodevelopmental disorders along with potential contributing factors. A total of 906 caregivers of children with diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder, from eight administrative districts and two city corporation areas in Bangladesh were interviewed. The Family Stress and Coping Interview scale was used to evaluate parenting stress. The diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorder at the outset, feelings about the cause of the disorder, future planning for employment and accommodation for the child and dealing with child sexuality were some important stressful situations for parents. Parenting stress is found to be higher among female [regression coefficient (B) = 5.09, p < 0.001] and less educated caregivers [B = 2.69, p < 0.01]. Increasing age of child [B = 0.82, p < 0.001] and diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorder before child’s second birthday [B = 4.22, p < 0.001] are also associated with higher parenting stress.
AkhterSHussainAHMEShefaJ, et al. (2018) Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among the children aged 18-36 months in a rural community of Bangladesh: a cross sectional study. F1000Research7: 424.
2.
AlhazmiAPetersenRDonaldKA (2018) Quality of life among parents of South African children with autism spectrum disorder. Acta Neuropsychiatrica30: 226–231.
3.
AlmogbelYSGoyalRSansgirySS (2017) Association between parenting stress and functional impairment among children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders. Community Mental Health Journal53: 405–414.
4.
BakareMOMunirKMBello-MojeedMA (2014) Public health and research funding for childhood neurodevelopmental disorders in sub-Saharan Africa: a time to balance priorities. Healthcare in Low-Resource Settings2(1): 2014.1559.
5.
BitsikaVSharpleyCF (2004) Stress, anxiety and depression among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools14: 151–161.
6.
BittaMKariukiSMAbubakarA, et al. (2017) Burden of neurodevelopmental disorders in low and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Wellcome Open Research2: 121.
7.
BonisS (2016) Issues in mental health nursing stress and parents of children with autism: a review of literature. Issues in Mental Health Nursing37: 153–163.
8.
BrownerWSNewmanTBHulleySB (2007) ‘Estimating sample size and power: applications and examples’, Designing clinical research. Lippincott and Williams & Wilkins Philadelphia3: 367.
9.
CatalanoDHollowayLMpofuE (2018) Mental health interventions for parent carers of children with autistic spectrum disorder: practice guidelines from a Critical Interpretive Synthesis (CIS) systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health15: 341.
10.
CharanJBiswasT (2013) How to calculate sample size for different study designs in medical research. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine35: 121–126.
11.
CraigFOpertoFFGiacomoAD, et al. (2016) Parenting stress among parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Psychiatry Research242: 121–129.
12.
DardasLAAhmadMM (2014) Predictors of quality of life for fathers and mothers of children with autistic disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities35: 1326–1333.
13.
DavisH (1985) Counselling parents of children who have intellectual disabilities. Early Child Development and Care22: 19–35.
14.
Deater-DeckardK (2004) Parenting Stress. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
15.
DervishaliajE (2013) Parental stress in families of children with disabilities: a literature review. Journal of Educational and Social Research3: 579.
DykensEM (2015) Family adjustment and interventions in neurodevelopmental disorders. Current Opinion in Psychiatry28: 121.
18.
EmersonNDNeeceC (2016) Predictors of age of diagnosis for children with autism spectrum disorder: the role of a consistent source of medical care, race, and condition severity. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders46: 127–138.
19.
FalkNHNorrisKQuinnMG (2014) The factors predicting stress, anxiety and depression in the parents of children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders44: 3185–3203.
20.
FarrugiaD (2009) Exploring stigma: medical knowledge and the stigmatisation of parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Sociology of Health & Illness31: 1011–1027.
21.
Fernández-AlcántaraMGarcía-CaroMPLaynez-RubioC, et al. (2015) Feelings of loss in parents of children with infantile cerebral palsy. Disability and Health Journal8: 93–101.
22.
FerreiraMRibeiroM (2014) Parental stress in mothers of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem22: 440–447.
23.
FountainCKingMDBearmanPS (2011) Age of diagnosis for autism: individual and community factors across 10 birth cohorts. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health65: 503–510.
24.
GarnerREArimRGKohenDE, et al. (2011) Parenting children with neurodevelopmental disorders and/or behaviour problems. Child: Care, Health and Development39: 412–421.
25.
GrayDE (2002) Ten years on: a longitudinal study of families of children with autism. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability27: 215–222.
26.
GrayDE (2003) Gender and coping: the parents of children with high functioning autism. Social Science & Medicine56: 631–642.
27.
HibbardRADeschLWandthe Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect and Council on Children With Disabilities (2007) Maltreatment of children with disabilities. Pediatrics119(5): 1018–1025.
KhanNZSultanaRAhmedF, et al. (2017) Scaling up child development centres in Bangladesh. Child: Care, Health and Development44: 19–30.
30.
KiernanJMitchellDStansfieldJ, et al. (2017) Mothers’ perspectives on the lived experience of children with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities23(2): 175–189.
31.
LopezVCliffordTMinnesP, et al. (2008) Parental stress and coping in families of children with and without developmental delays. Journal on Developmental Disabilities14(2): 99–104.
32.
MainuddinAKMBegumHARawalLB, et al. (2015) Women empowerment and its relation with health seeking behavior in Bangladesh. Journal of Family and Reproductive Health9(2): 65–73.
33.
MandellDSWalrathCMManteuffelB, et al. (2005) The prevalence and correlates of abuse among children with autism served in comprehensive community-based mental health settings. Child Abuse & Neglect29: 1359–1372.
34.
MercerLCreightonSHoldenJJA, et al. (2006) Parental perspectives on the causes of an autism spectrum disorder in their children. Journal of Genetic Counseling15: 41–50.
35.
MinnesPM (1988) Family stress associated with a developmentally handicapped child. International Review of Research in Mental Retardation15: 195–226.
36.
NachshenJSWoodfordLMinnesPM (2003) The family stress and coping interview for families of individuals with developmental disabilities: a lifespan perspective on family adjustment. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability47: 285–290.
37.
ParkesASweetingHWightD (2015) Parenting stress and parent support among mothers with high and low education. Journal of Family Psychology29: 907–918.
38.
PisulaEPorębowicz-DörsmannA (2017) Family functioning, parenting stress and quality of life in mothers and fathers of Polish children with high functioning autism or Asperger syndrome. PLoS One12: e0186536.
39.
RaphaelJLZhangYLiuH, et al. (2009) Parenting stress in US families: implications for paediatric healthcare utilization. Child: Care, Health, and Development36: 216–224.
40.
SabihFSajidWB (2008) There is significant stress among parents having children with autism. Rawalpidi Medical Journal33: 214–216.
41.
ShinJYMcDonaughRG (2008) Types, availability, and perception of social support among parents of young children with cognitive delays in Vietnam. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research31: 131–139.
WestcottHLJonesDPH (1999) Annotation: the abuse of disabled children. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines40: 497–506.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
