Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jul 14:13:955442.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.955442. eCollection 2022.

The Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Parents in Arab Countries: A Systematic Literature Review

Jamal M Alkhateeb  1 , Muna S Hadidi  1 , Wissam Mounzer  2
Affiliations

The Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Parents in Arab Countries: A Systematic Literature Review

Jamal M Alkhateeb et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Background: Having a child with autism spectrum disorder can have significant psychological effects on parents. This systematic review summarizes the current state of literature underscoring the impact of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on parents in Arab countries.

Methods: A systematic search of seven databases (PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Google Scholar, ERIC, Academic Search Complete, and PsycINFO) was performed, which identified 24 studies (20 quantitative studies and four qualitative studies) that included 3,299 parents or caregivers of children with ASD. These studies were conducted in 10 Arab countries (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Emirates, Palestine, Qatar, and Lebanon).

Results: The majority of the included studies found that ASD has a significant negative impact on the mental health and wellbeing of Arab parents. It was found that parents of children with ASD have a poor quality of life (QoL) and an increased risk of psychological disorders. These findings were in contrast to findings of parents of typically developing children and children with other developmental disorders. Challenges faced by parents of children with ASD were associated with several child- and parent-related factors. The most common coping strategy used by parents was religious coping.

Conclusion: The impact of ASD on parents has only recently gained traction among researchers in Arab countries. Despite several knowledge gaps, published studies have provided useful information outlining the impact of ASD on parents in some of these countries. Further research comprising larger random samples and using varied research and data-collection methods is required to understand the multifaceted challenges experienced by parents raising children with ASD in Arab countries.

Keywords: Arab countries; autism spectrum disorder; burden; caregivers; parents; quality of life; stress; wellbeing.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow chart of the study identification process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. *. Ahmad M. M., Dardas L. A. (2015). The hidden patients: fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder. J. Intellect. Dev. Disabil. 40, 368–375. 10.3109/13668250.2015.1064879 - DOI
    1. *. Al Ansari A. M., Janahi M. I., Al Tourah A. J., Jahrami H. A., Rajab M. B. (2021). Self-reported psychological disorders among the mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and typically developed children. J. Neurodev. Disord. 13, 21. 10.1186/s11689-021-09369-y - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Al Khateeb J. M., Kaczmarek L., Al Hadidi M. S. (2019). Parents' perceptions of raising children with autism spectrum disorders in the United States and Arab countries: a comparative review. Autism 23, 1645–1654. 10.1177/1362361319833929 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Alallawi B., Hastings R. P., Gray G. (2020). A systematic scoping review of social, educational, and psychological research on individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their family members in Arab countries and cultures. Rev. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 7, 364–382. 10.1007/s40489-020-00198-8 - DOI
    1. *. Al-Ansari A. M., Jahrami H. A. (2018). Health of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability. Bahrain Med. Bull. 40, 157–161.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources