Burden of mothers of children with intellectual disability in Turkey

Living with and caring for a child with intellectual disability (ID) in the family creates a feeling of burden. Burden is a dynamic concept that varies while caring for the child and according to the status of the individual providing the care. Cultural factors have a significant effect on burden. The aim of this study was to determine the burden and factors that affect the burden on mothers. Data were collected from the mothers of 543 intellectually disabled children between 2 and 18 years old in private education and rehabilitation centers in the city of Izmir. Two forms were used for data collection in the research: Family Description Form and Family Burden Assessment Scale. Results: The age of intellectually disabled children did not have an effect on their mothers' burden (chi(2) = 3.982, df = 2, P > .05). No significant correlation was found between the mother's burden and child's gender (chi(2) = .324; df = 1; P > .05). A significant correlation was found between level of intellectual disability and burden (chi(2) = 21.340; df = 2; P = .000). The mothers who did not have enough income to cover their expenses were found to have a high burden (chi(2) = 24.396, df = 1, P = .000). Conclusion: In this research the burden was found to be high for mothers who had inadequate incomes. Level of intellectual disability of the child affected the burden of mothers