ABSTRACT
To study alexithymia among mothers with disabled children in Saudi Arabia, and to explore if alexithymia is associated to their mood difficulties, and certain demographic variables. We conducted a prospective study during January 2011 to April 2012, on 86 mothers [study group] caring for children with physical, mental, or sensory disabilities treated at a major tertiary rehabilitation hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 32 mothers [control group] with healthy children were also included. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS] was used to measure the mood symptoms of mothers. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale [TAS-20] was administered to assess the degree of alexithymia. The demographic data of mothers and children were also collected. The mean age of children with a disability was 5.6. +/- 3.1, and for healthy children was 6.3 +/- 3.7 [range 1-14] years. The mean age of mothers in the study group [n=86] was 33.9 +/- 6.1, and in the control group [n=32] was 35.2 +/- 7.3 years. Mothers of children with disabilities had a significantly higher degree of alexithymia [p=0.001] and a significantly higher mean score of HADS-anxiety [p=0.042] and HADS depression [p=0.021]. Alexithymia had a significant correlation with mother's depression [p=0.0001] and anxiety [p=0.0001]. No significant correlations were found between alexithymia and child's age [p=0.303], duration of disability [p=0.0941], and mother's age [p=0.235]. Mothers caring for disabled children have higher features of alexithymia, and this is correlated to their elevated mood problems. Clinical implications are discussed
ABSTRACT
To investigate the link between autism disorders and engineering training of parents. All Autistic-Pervasive Developmental Disorders [PDD] children that were diagnosed on the bases of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders [DSM-IV], and met the required criteria for autism, over a defined period [March 2006 to June 2007] were included. We then took all non-PDD developmental disorders cases seen during the same time frame as the autistic children as a control; these included speech delay, mental retardation, and down's syndrome. Out data covered demographic data, parents and grandparents' education, and profession. Parents' education/professions were classified into 2 groups only, 1- engineering or mathematician; and 2-humanities, neither engineering nor math. The children were divided into 2 groups, autism [57 cases], and developmental disorders [40 cases]. Regarding the main question of this study [hypothesized engineering link], the data showed some differences between the 2 groups [x[2]=2.503, degrees of freedom[df]=1; p=0.093], but not of major significance. There was no significant difference [x[2]0.370; df=2; p=0.831] between the 2 groups on the variable of consanguinity. We have found that the Saudi Arabian sample, though relatively small, has considerable similarities with both the UK and USA data. There is a possibility of an association between autism and the engineering/math training of fathers. The implication is briefly discussed