Support Needs of Mothers of Children with Down Syndrome in Kuwait

Background objective: This study explored the level of support needs of mothers of children with Down syndrome (DS) in Kuwait following postnatal diagnosis, across four domains: educational needs, professional needs, social needs, and primary caregiver support needs.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 82 mothers of children with DS residing in Kuwait. Descriptive statistics were calculated, while group comparisons (in terms of needs) were conducted using nonparametric tests, and internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Reliability estimates ranged from α = 0.79 to α = 0.89 across the four subscales, with an overall alpha of 0.93.

Results

Participants reported high levels of need across all domains, including educational, professional, social, and primary caregiver support needs, with a median score of 5 on a 1-5 scale (Likert). The most prominent finding in group comparison was the significant association between family size and the social needs score (p = 0.012), where the median was 5 (IQR: 4.89-5.00) for family size < 3, and it decreased as we moved towards larger families, until it reached 3.78 for family size > 8.