Determination of Perceived Social Support and Burnout Levels of Mothers Having Children with Intellectual Disability

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between the perceived social support and burnout levels of the mothers having intellectually disabled children and the effective factors.
METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in the fourteen Special Training and Rehabilitation Centers in the city center of Trabzon between 01 June 2014 and 30 November 2014. The sample of the study consisted of 128 mothers who had 6-14 year old children with intellectual disability. The data of the study were collected using Personal Information Form, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.
RESULTS: In the study, more than half of the mothers were determined to have difficulty in care of their intellectually disabled children. The mothers were found to have difficulty mostly because of financial problems and their children’s aggressive behaviors. It was determined that relationships of one third of the mothers with their husbands and one fourth with their healthy children and relatives were affected. Burnout levels of the mothers who had difficulty in care of their intellectually disabled children, were secondary school graduate, had an extended family, were unemployed, had social security, and an intellectually disabled boy, were found to be higher. In the study, social support levels of the mothers were good and their burnout levels were above the mean.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: It was recommended to determine multiple factors causing burnout in mothers of intellectually disabled children, accordingly to support mothers with multi-factorial team approach through different studies to be conducted about this matter, and for mothers to take short vacations and participate in activities they like.