Subjective burden in mothers of speech-impaired children

Folia Phoniatr Logop. 2007;59(5):268-72. doi: 10.1159/000104465.

Abstract

Objective: Evaluation of perceived subjective burden in mothers of speech-impaired children against the presence or absence of an emotional disorder.

Methods: 89 mothers (age 33.3 +/- 5.5 years, range: 19.6-43.8 years) of 89 preschool children (23 girls, 66 boys, age: 3.9 +/- 1.5 years, range: 1.6- 7.1 years) with specific speech impairment were investigated. German versions of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Burden Scale for Family Caregivers (BSFC) were applied.

Results: 11% of the mothers met criteria for a depressive disorder (normal controls: 2.5%; p = 0.008). Twenty-eight percent of the mothers met criteria for anxiety disorders (normal controls: 9.6%; p = 0.000). The HADS depression subscore and the BSFC correlate with r = 0.75. The HADS anxiety subscore and the BSFC correlate with r = 0.59.

Conclusions: Results suggest the need for routine clinical assessment of mothers' well-being when their children are affected by speech impairment.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis
  • Anxiety Disorders / epidemiology
  • Anxiety Disorders / etiology*
  • Caregivers / psychology
  • Child, Preschool
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Depressive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Depressive Disorder / etiology*
  • Disabled Children*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mother-Child Relations
  • Mothers / psychology*
  • Self Concept
  • Self-Assessment
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Speech Disorders / psychology*
  • Stress, Psychological / diagnosis
  • Stress, Psychological / epidemiology
  • Stress, Psychological / etiology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires