Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2022
Keywords
Bangladesh, children with autism, depression, mothers, psychological counseling
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2022.16
Abstract
Background: We assessed the feasibility of implementing psychological counseling services (PCS) for mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) integrated within special education settings in urban Bangladesh. Method: In two special education schools for ASD in Dhaka City, trained female psychologists screened mothers using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). PCS was administered to all the mothers irrespective of a diagnosis of depression. Mothers with a PHQ-9 score >4 who met criteria for a major depressive episode (MDE) based on the DSM-IV Structured Interview Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) were also administered skill-building training through monthly home visits to support ASD care. The level of depression was assessed by the Depression Measurement Scale (DMS), and quality of life (QoL) was measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of EQ5D5L scale before and after PCS. Result: Among 188 mothers enrolled in the study, 81 (43%) received PCS, and 27.1% (22) had MDE. In the first month, 73 sessions were scheduled and 60 completed (85%). In the last month, 53 sessions were scheduled and 52 completed (98%). The mean DMS score decreased from 79.5 ± 23 to 60 ± 20 (p = 0.004), and DMS scores were significantly higher among mothers with MDE (97.8 ± 12.1 v. 69.9 ± 22.1; p < 0.001) compared to those without MDE (72.7 ± 22.6 v. 56.1 ± 18.1; p = 0.003). The mean VAS score improved from 70.3 ± 14.1 to 80.2 ± 13.3 (p = 0.001) between the first and the last session. Changes in DMS were negatively correlated with changes in VAS scores (β: −0.213, 95% CI 0.370 to −0.056). Conclusion: Within special education schools for ASD in urban Bangladesh, it was feasible to administer an integrated program of PCS for mothers of children with ASD by trained psychologists who were able to screen and intervene to reduce their level of depression and improve their quality of life.
Rights Information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Global Mental Health, v. 9, p. 146-156
Scholar Commons Citation
Naheed, Aliya; Islam, Saimul; Brooks, Meredith B.; Smith Fawzi, Mary C.; Ashraf, Mir Nabila; Ahmed, Helal Uddin; Jalal Uddin, M. M.; Koly, Kamrun Nahar; Galea, Jerome T.; Akhter, Shaheen; Nelson, Charles; Hossain, Saima Wazed; and Munir, Kerim M., "Feasibility of a School-based Mental Health Program Implementation to Improve the Status of Depression and Quality of Life of Mothers of Children with Autism spectrum Disorders in Urban Bangladesh: MENTHOL Study" (2022). Social Work Faculty Publications. 202.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/sok_facpub/202
