Mood problems of mothers with disabled children in Saudi Arabia A preliminary prospective study

Objectives: To explore the presence and the degree of mood problems in mothers with disabled children. Methods. We conducted a prospective study during the period of November 2009 to February 2010, in 75 mothers (study group) with physical, mental or sensory disabled children admitted at Sultan Bin Abdul-Aziz Humanitarian City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and 35 mothers (control group) with healthy children. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to measure the mood symptoms of mothers. The demographic data of mothers were also collected. Results. The mean age of the children with disability was 4.8+/-3.3 and healthy children 5.3+/-2.3 (range 1-14) years. The mean age of mothers in the study group (n=75) was 32.3+/-7.9 and the control group was 39.9+/-7.9 years. Compared to control, mothers of disabled children scored significantly higher anxiety (4.9+/-1.9, 8.7+/-3.1, p=0.027), depression (5.4+/-2.8, 7.7+/-3.2, p=0.032), and total Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (9.8+/-3.8, 16.4+/-5.5, p=0.022). Compared to mothers of male disabled children anxiety, depression and the HADS scored higher in mothers of female disabled children, however, these differences were not significantly significant. There was no significant differences among mothers of children with physical, sensory or mental disability on total HADS. Conclusion: Mothers of disabled children in Saudi Arabia showed higher scores of anxiety, depression, and total HADS.