The Comparison of Loneliness in Mothers of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

Research suggests that loneliness of parents of children with disabilities is more than parents of children without disabilities. The aim of the present study was to compare the loneliness among mothers of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder, mothers of children with intellectual disability and mothers of children with specific learning disorder).
The method of this study was causal-comparative. The statistical population of present study includes all mothers of elementary students with neurodevelopmental disabilities (mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder, mothers of children with intellectual disability and mothers of children with specific learning disorder) of Shiraz city during 2014-2015 educational years. The sample size was 135 mothers of elementary students with neurodevelopmental disabilities and sampling method was cluster sampling. In order to assess loneliness, the loneliness scale of Dehshiri et al was used. For data analysis ANOVA was used for a total score of loneliness and MANOVA was used for subscale of loneliness.
The results showed that in loneliness there is a significant difference between mothers of children with intellectual disability and mothers of children with specific learning disorder(p=0/005). In subscales of loneliness, just in loneliness due to relationship with friends, mothers of children with specific learning disorder had a significant difference with both groups of mothers of children with intellectual disability and mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (p=0/016).
So the design and implementation of preventive and interventional program to reduce the loneliness of mothers of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, especially mothers of children with specific learning disorder is necessary.