Kofi Awuviry-Newton, Seyram Ama Kukah, Kwamina Abekah-Carter
{"title":"Exploring the Unmet Needs of Primary Caregivers of Autistic Children and Its Implications for Social Work Practice in Ghana","authors":"Kofi Awuviry-Newton, Seyram Ama Kukah, Kwamina Abekah-Carter","doi":"10.1155/2024/3574815","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n <p>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.</p>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":48195,"journal":{"name":"Health & Social Care in the Community","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/2024/3574815","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Health & Social Care in the Community","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2024/3574815","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
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.
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