Depression, anxiety, and stress level of Cargivers of children with autism spectrum disorder in three selected school in Addis Ababa
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Date
2025
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study examines of depression, anxiety, and stress level of caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder in three selected schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia involving 85 participants. The data were analyzed quantitatively. Most of the participants in this study were 44(51.8%) female while 41(48.2%) were male. The current study finds that out of 85 parents assessed with the DASS, 12.9% were within the normal range, 11.8% had mild depression, 29.4% had moderate depression, 27.1% had severe depression, and 18.8% had extremely severe depression. Overall, 87.1% of parents experienced some degree of depression above the normal range, reflecting a substantial mental health burden among caregivers of children with ASD. Based on the DASS assessment of 85 parents, 12.9% were in the normal range, 14.1% had mild anxiety, 37.6% experienced moderate anxiety, 22.4% experienced severe anxiety, and 12.9% experienced extremely severe anxiety. In total, 87.1% of parents reported anxiety levels above the normal range, indicating a markedly high prevalence of anxiety among caregivers of children with ASD. Among the 85 parents assessed using the DASS scale, 14.1% were within the normal range, 12.9% reported mild stress, 27.1% reported moderate stress, 34.1% reported severe stress, and 11.8% reported extremely severe stress. Taken together, 87.9% of participants experienced some degree of stress above the normal range, indicating a high burden of stress among parents of children with ASD.
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children with autism spectrum disorde