Sleep Quality, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Caregivers of Children with Disabilities

Abstract

Background: Caring for children with developmental disabilities places significant emotional and physical strain on caregivers, often leading to poor sleep and compromised mental health. Objective: To assess and compare sleep quality, depression, anxiety, and stress levels among mothers of children with developmental disabilities versus mothers of typically developing children. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at the Children’s Hospital and Institute of Child Health and PSRD, Lahore. A total of 420 participants were recruited using convenience sampling: 210 mothers of children with developmental disabilities and 210 mothers of typically developing children. Standardized tools Sleep Quality Scale (SQS) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-42 (DASS-42) were used to assess sleep quality, depression, anxiety, and stress. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 with descriptive statistics and Mann–Whitney U test; p-values <0.05 were considered significant. Results: Mothers of children with disabilities reported significantly higher sleep index scores (60.40 ± 10.83) compared to mothers of typically developing children (50.56 ± 6.49; p < 0.001). Stress scores were also higher (28.60 ± 7.71 vs. 25.86 ± 4.33; p < 0.001). No significant differences were found in depression (p = 0.411) and anxiety (p = 0.242). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that mothers of children with developmental disabilities experience significantly poor sleep quality and higher stress levels compared to mothers of typically developing children, while differences in depression and anxiety were not statistically significant.

Keywords: Anxiety, Caregivers, Developmental Disabilities, Depression, Mental Health, Sleep, Sleep Wake Disorders, Social Support, Stress.