Exploring the Unmet Needs of Primary Caregivers of Autistic Children and Its Implications for Social Work Practice in Ghana

IF 2 4区 医学 Q3 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Kofi Awuviry-Newton, Seyram Ama Kukah, Kwamina Abekah-Carter
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Abstract

Caring for an autistic child is fraught with various difficulties and may present unmet needs that could affect the overall well-being of caregivers and children themselves. Consequently, gaining insight into the unmet needs of these caregivers is imperative for the development of targeted and effective interventions to enhance their quality of life and improve their ability to care for their children. Using a descriptive qualitative research design, this study engaged 10 primary caregivers of autistic children in Ghana to understand their unmet needs. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and thematically analyzed. The analysis revealed the urgent need for financial support for primary caregivers, the availability of more special schools, and the services of trained professionals in the field of autism. Caregivers also called for the intensification of public education to help reorient the perspectives of the general population on the autism condition. Based on the findings, some recommendations for policy and practice were made. The implications of the findings for social work are also discussed.

探索加纳自闭症儿童主要照顾者未满足的需求及其对社会工作实践的影响
照顾自闭症儿童充满了各种困难,可能会出现未满足的需求,从而影响照顾者和儿童本身的整体福祉。因此,深入了解这些照顾者未得到满足的需求,对于制定有针对性的有效干预措施以提高他们的生活质量和改善他们照顾孩子的能力至关重要。本研究采用描述性定性研究设计,让加纳 10 名自闭症儿童的主要照顾者参与其中,以了解他们未得到满足的需求。研究人员通过深入访谈收集数据,并进行专题分析。分析结果表明,自闭症儿童的主要照护者迫切需要经济支持、更多的特殊学校以及自闭症领域训练有素的专业人员的服务。照护者还呼吁加强公共教育,帮助调整普通民众对自闭症的看法。根据研究结果,提出了一些政策和实践建议。此外,还讨论了调查结果对社会工作的影响。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
4.50
自引率
8.30%
发文量
423
期刊介绍: Health and Social Care in the community is an essential journal for anyone involved in nursing, social work, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, general practice, health psychology, health economy, primary health care and the promotion of health. It is an international peer-reviewed journal supporting interdisciplinary collaboration on policy and practice within health and social care in the community. The journal publishes: - Original research papers in all areas of health and social care - Topical health and social care review articles - Policy and practice evaluations - Book reviews - Special issues
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