Perceived Need, Unmet Need for Mental Health Care and Related Factors Among Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Hamadan, Western Iran

Abstract

background: This study aimed to quantify the perceived need and avoidance/delay for mental health care among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and also to elucidate the factors associated with perceived need and avoidance/delay. objective: This study aimed to quantify the perceived need and avoidance/delay for mental health care among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and also to elucidate the factors associated with perceived need and avoidance/delay. method: This is a cross-sectional study involving all mothers of children with ASD in Hamadan city, western Iran. Socio-demographic characteristics, depression, anxiety, stress as well as perceived need and avoidance/delay, and associated factors were obtained using a researcher made and standard validated questionnaires. Penalized logistic regression analysis via data augmentation was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). result: In total 103 mothers, approximately 75% and 61% of mothers reported a perceived need and avoiding/delaying needed services during the past 12 months, respectively. Psychological stress and lower family income were significant determinants of the perceived need for mental health care. Minimization (OR: 6.06; 95% CI: 1.33-27.68), low perceived treatment effectiveness (4.40; 1.05-18.35), and financial barrier (4.26; 1.01-17.86) were the most important reason for avoiding/delaying needed services, respectively. conclusion: The prevalence of perceived needs and unmet needs is high. Effective psychosocial interventions should be provided for reducing the mental health care gap among mothers of children with ASD.