Comparison of mental health and marital adjustment of mothers of autistic children and mothers of normal children 5 to 12 years old in Bandar Abbas city

Master's Thesis in Psychology (M.A)

Trend: Clinical

Abstract:

The purpose of this research was to compare the mental health and marital adjustment of mothers of autistic children and mothers of normal children aged 5 to 12 years in Bandar Abbas city. This research was one of correlational and causal-comparative research. In this research, the statistical population included all mothers of children with autism and mothers of normal children aged 5 to 12 years in Bandar Abbas city, who were studying in preschool and elementary school in the academic year of 1991-1992. A sample selection of mothers with autistic children was made based on available sampling of 30 people. 70 mothers of normal children were randomly selected as a control group. To measure the variables, Spanier's Marital Adjustment Manual and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were used. The analysis of the obtained data was done with the one-way analysis of variance test. The research findings showed that the mental health of mothers of autistic children is significantly lower than the mental health of mothers of normal children. In the subscales of physical symptoms, anxiety symptoms, impaired social functioning and depression symptoms, the mothers of autistic children were significantly lower than the mothers of normal children. Also, the findings of the research showed that the marital adjustment of mothers of autistic children is significantly lower than that of mothers of normal children. Marital satisfaction, marital solidarity and marital agreement of mothers of autistic children were also significantly lower than mothers of normal children. However, in the subscale of expressing affection, the observed difference between mothers of autistic children and mothers of normal children was not significant. Therefore, mothers of autistic children have less mental health and marital compatibility than mothers of normal children.

Key words: Marital adjustment, mental health, mothers of autistic children.

Introduction

Pervasive developmental disorders[1] include a group of mental disorders in which there is destruction in social interaction skills, language development and behavioral range. Autism disorder [2] is one of the most famous pervasive developmental disorders of childhood. The main characteristics of autism are abnormal development or significant impairment in communication, social interaction and significant limitation of activities and interests. The manifestations of this disorder are different according to the development level and chronological age of the person (Sadok[3] and Sadok, 2003).

Autistic children have numerous behavioral problems, including stereotyped behaviors, suppression, self-stimulation, aggression, and paranoia. Such behaviors create problems in raising independent children and put a lot of stress on the parents of these children, especially their mothers. This occupation has a strong impact on family life, which includes high levels of anxiety, stress, isolation, and uncertainty in parents, especially mothers of children with autism (Webster [4] et al., 2004).

Recent research on parents of autistic children shows that parents, especially mothers, are at high risk of developing mental health problems (Ride-Brand [5], 1990). It seems that one of the other variables that may be affected by the condition of autistic children is marital adjustment.

Mental health is balanced and harmonious behavior with society, recognition and acceptance of social facts and the ability to adapt to them, satisfying one's own needs in a balanced way and flourishing one's natural talent. A person with mental health is one who is able to resolve his inner conflicts and adapts to the changes and requirements of his natural and social environment and tries to provide health and vitality for himself and others because mental health is a favorable state for physical, emotional and intellectual growth and development without disturbing others (Akhtiaryamiri, 2013). Marriage is used. This term is related to many other terms such as "marital satisfaction", "marital happiness", "marital success" and "marital stability".While the previous terms each show only one dimension of marriage, marital compatibility is a multidimensional term that clarifies the multiple levels of marriage and is a process that occurs during the life of a couple, because it requires the adaptation of tastes, recognition of personal characteristics, the creation of behavioral rules and the formation of relationship patterns, so marital compatibility is an evolutionary process between husband and wife. Over the years, this concept has been used without a common and clear definition among researchers. Marital adjustment is the way in which married people, individually or with each other, adapted to stay married, so that marital adjustment is one of the most important factors in determining the stability and continuity of married life (Gal, 2001; Goldenberg, 2012). Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of comparing the mental health and marital adjustment of mothers of autistic children and normal children in Bandar Abbas city.

1-2 statement of the problem

The birth of a child is the result of psychological pressures for parents of any age and situation. The birth of a child in young couples brings special problems such as nutrition, care and the like, and in middle-aged couples who even have experience in raising children, it brings many problems such as educational inconsistency, the lack of the same psychological environment that governs the child's developmental environment, and the like. If a child is born with a mental or physical or behavioral disorder or a combination of them, the psychological pressures resulting from the existence of such a child on the family members, especially the parents, are multiplied (Sif Naraghi and Naderi, 2010).

Pervasive developmental disorders are characterized by severe and widespread damage to various areas of development, such as: impairment in mutual social interaction skills, communication skills or the presence of stereotyped behavior, interests and activities. Autism is one of these disorders. Autism disorder (independence), which is defined based on the abnormal development of social and communication interaction and on the basis of significant limitation of activities and desires, is one of the most serious and unknown childhood disorders (Dasetan, 2018). Autism disorder is the most well-known disorder of the group of pervasive developmental disorders [6], which is characterized by persistent impairment in mutual social interaction, communication deviation, and limited stereotyped behavioral patterns. According to the revised text of the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [7] abnormal functioning in the above areas should be present at the age of 3 years (Kaplan-Sadock, 2007). In 1943, Dr. Conner [8] identified this disorder and called it early childhood autism (American Psychological Association, 2000).

Autism is referred to as a spectrum disorder (Debadet [9], 2006). Because this disability affects the development and expansion of the child's ability (including the development of language, communication and social skills) in different ways (Association Geftis, 2008).

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Diseases has summarized the most important symptoms necessary for the diagnosis of autism in three areas: 1- Social deficits, with the common double-shoulder that show themselves from the beginning of childhood, lack of eye contact and coordinating one's body position with the other party when being hugged. 2- Patterns of behavior. Rutter (1987) has classified these behaviors into four categories: first, limited and inflexible games. Second, strong attachment to an object. Third, intellectual preoccupation with a subject and finally a strong desire to be consistent in the pattern of daily activities (Jones, 2004). 3- The communication deficits that researches have shown, more than one third of children left alone never acquire functional speech (Miranda [10], 2003, Lord, Rizi and Pickles [11], 2004, Rimland [12], 1964). Self-injurious behaviors are destructive behaviors that people with developmental disabilities do. Self-injurious behaviors often have common forms, which include: : hitting the head, hitting with the hand, rubbing oneself too much, grabbing and pulling nails (Darakhishdeh, 2004).

In a study of the prevalence of autism children, about one case in 2000 live births was reported (Tangwai [13], 2000). And the rate of this disorder in boys is 4 to 5 times that of girls[14].

The spectrum of autism disorders[15] has severe effects on family life. High levels of anxiety, stress, isolation and indecision in parents and caregivers of children with autism are among these cases (Webster, Filler and Lovell [16], 2000). Parents and especially the mother are among the first ones who communicate with the child and spend the most time with the child. Mothers of autistic children experience severe behavioral problems of the child and more stress and less satisfaction from the relationship between each other (husband and wife) (Brobst, Clapton, Hendrick, 2009).