Burden of major depressive disorder and quality of life among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder in urban bangladesh.
Half of urban Bangladeshi mothers of kids with autism screen positive for major depression, echoing high rates seen worldwide and pointing to urgent need for routine maternal mood screening and social-support bridges.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Naheed et al. (2020) asked mothers of children with autism in Dhaka, Bangladesh about their mood and daily life. They used a short doctor-style checklist to see who might have major depressive disorder. They also asked how good or bad the moms felt about their own health, money, and community support.
What they found
Almost half of the mothers met the cut-off for major depression. The moms who had little help, low income, or felt judged by neighbors also scored lowest on quality-of-life questions.
How this fits with other research
Taylor et al. (2012) saw the same pattern in the United States. One week after the autism diagnosis, 79% of moms had high depression scores; more than one year later, 37% still did. The new Dhaka numbers line up almost exactly, showing the problem crosses cultures.
Benson (2018) followed U.S. mothers for 12 years and found their self-rated health kept slipping when stress and low mood went untreated. Aliya’s snapshot hints that Bangladeshi moms may face the same long slide unless they get help.
Benson (2012) showed that bigger, emotionally supportive friend and family circles cut depression risk. Aliya’s team saw the flip side: lack of support was one of the strongest links to depression, backing up the idea that social networks act like a safety net.
Why it matters
If mom is depressed, therapy sessions, home programs, and school meetings all lose steam. You can add a two-question mood screen to your intake forms and share local parent-group contacts at the same time. A quick hand-off to a mental-health partner can keep the whole family moving forward.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This cross-sectional study examined the burden of depression and quality of life (QoL) among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attending six schools offering special educational services for children with ASD in urban Dhaka, Bangladesh. All consenting mothers were 18 years of age and older and met criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) on the Structured Interview for DSM-V-TR Research Version-non patient edition administered by trained raters. QoL was assessed by the EuroQol five-dimensional standardized questionnaire. MDD was diagnosed in 45% of mothers and was proportionally higher among those who did not work outside the home, had no childcare support at home, expressed low level of satisfaction with the quality of providers when they had sought care for their children with ASD, and reported being recipient of negative attitudes from neighbors toward their children with ASD. QoL was negatively associated with MDD, mothers' illness, and low satisfaction with the health care providers for children with ASD, as well as experiencing a negative attitude by neighbors toward their children. QoL was positively associated with the reported family monthly income and improvement of the children with ASD on school attendance. The prevalence of MDD among mothers of children with ASD was high and associated with poor QoL. Integrating mental health services and supports for mothers in the ASD care of children is likely to address the high burden of depression they face, and improve their overall quality of life. Autism Res 2020, 13: 284-297. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: The levels of depression were assessed among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attending six schools offering special educational services for children with ASD in urban Dhaka, Bangladesh. Almost one in two mothers was found to have major depression. The quality of life of these mothers was generally poor. Integrating mental health services for mothers with ASD care in children is likely to address the burden of depression among the mothers of children with ASD and improve overall quality of life.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2020 · doi:10.1002/aur.2227