The Relationship between Social Support and Stress and Burnout Levels of Mothers of Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

This study aims  to reveal the relationship between social support perception and stress and burnout levels of mothers with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).The sample of the research consists of 150 mothers with the children with ASD who received counseling services in 2022. The data of the study were collected using Personal Information Form, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Perceived Stress Scale and Maslach Burnout Scale. SPSS 21 Package Program was used for data analysis. Parametric and non-parametric statistical analyzes were carried out within the scope of the distribution of the data. In the analysis of the data, t-test, Pearson Correlation test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Post-Hoc test statistics were used. The findings of the study revealed that social support perceptions of mothers with the children with ASD predicted stress and burnout, in other words, there was a significant relationship between social support perceptions and stress and burnout. In the study, it was also determined that there was a statistically significant relationship between the mothers' age, marital status, education level, the number of children they had and their average monthly income, and the perception of social support, stress and burnout.