Department of Clinical Neuroscience, College of Medicine King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
College of Medicine King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
BMC Public Health. 2023 Nov 23;23(1):2320. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-17228-9.
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a group of conditions that include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders, specific learning disorders, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and other disorders. Raising a child with an NDD can be difficult because it affects the social lives of the parents and their relationships. It also requires the parents to develop another set of skills to deal with their child. These factors increase their risk of depression and anxiety.
To measure the prevalence rates of depression and anxiety among parents of children with different NDDs, compare the rates between mothers and fathers, and measure the relevant associated factors.
This study was a prospective, qualitative, cross-sectional, anonymous questionnaire-based study. The participants were 416 parents of children with NDDs in Saudi Arabia. The sample size was determined using the Richard Geiger equation with a 5% margin of error, a 95% confidence level, and a 50% response distribution. The screening was performed using a validated Arabic version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). These are short and understandable screening tools that assist in identifying and grading the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms. The participants were reached by distributing the questionnaire to parents who followed up with Saudi NDD-related associations, clinics, and psychiatric clinics from November 20 to May 8, 2022. The data were collected, reviewed, and then entered into SPSS 21.
In total, 416 parents of children with NDDs in Saudi Arabia participated in the study. We demonstrated that 85.1% of parents of children with NDDs had depression and that 85.8% had anxiety. Mothers and fathers had similar rates of depression and anxiety. No significant difference was found between the type of NDD and rates of depression and anxiety in parents.
Children with NDDs affect their parents' mental health in terms of increased rates of depression and anxiety. This increase is not correlated with a specific etiology. Healthcare professionals who care for children with NDDs should also assess parental mental health and seek an early diagnosis of mental illness to ensure that the appropriate interventions are provided for parents.
神经发育障碍（NDD）是一组包括注意力缺陷/多动障碍、特定学习障碍、自闭症谱系障碍、智力障碍和其他障碍的疾病。养育患有 NDD 的孩子可能很困难，因为它会影响父母的社交生活和他们的关系。它还需要父母培养另一套技能来应对他们的孩子。这些因素增加了他们患抑郁和焦虑的风险。
测量患有不同 NDD 的儿童的父母中抑郁和焦虑的患病率，比较母亲和父亲之间的比率，并测量相关的相关因素。
这是一项前瞻性、定性、横断面、匿名问卷研究。参与者是沙特阿拉伯 416 名患有 NDD 的儿童的父母。使用 Richard Geiger 方程确定样本量，该方程具有 5%的误差边际、95%的置信水平和 50%的响应分布。使用经过验证的阿拉伯语版患者健康问卷-9（PHQ-9）和广泛性焦虑症-7（GAD-7）进行筛查。这些是简短易懂的筛查工具，有助于识别和分级抑郁和焦虑症状的严重程度。通过向 2022 年 11 月 20 日至 5 月 8 日期间在沙特 NDD 相关协会、诊所和精神病诊所随诊的父母分发问卷来接触参与者。收集、审查数据，然后将其输入到 SPSS 21 中。
共有 416 名沙特阿拉伯患有 NDD 的儿童的父母参加了研究。我们表明，85.1%的 NDD 儿童的父母患有抑郁，85.8%的父母患有焦虑。母亲和父亲的抑郁和焦虑率相似。父母的 NDD 类型与抑郁和焦虑率之间没有发现显著差异。
患有 NDD 的儿童会增加父母的心理健康问题，表现为抑郁和焦虑的比率增加。这种增加与特定病因无关。照顾患有 NDD 的儿童的医疗保健专业人员还应评估父母的心理健康状况，并寻求对精神疾病的早期诊断，以确保为父母提供适当的干预措施。
