Multidimensional burden of raising children with learning disabilities: a mothers' perspective on economic, psychological, and social challenges.

BACKGROUND

Families of children with learning disabilities often face multidimensional challenges that affect their economic stability, psychological well-being, and social functioning, yet limited empirical evidence exists on how these burdens vary across socioeconomic and educational contexts in developing settings. This study aimed to examine the level, prevalence, and determinants of family burden among mothers of children with learning disabilities, and to assess differences based on child disability severity, maternal education, and economic status.

METHODS

A quantitative cross-sectional design was used, with data collected through a structured questionnaire administered to mothers of children with learning disabilities. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, ANOVA, correlation analysis, and multiple regression to examine relationships among variables.

RESULTS

The findings indicated a moderate to high level of overall family burden, with economic and psychological problems being the most prominent, while social problems were comparatively lower. Significant differences were observed across disability severity, maternal education, and economic status, with higher burden associated with severe disability and lower socioeconomic conditions. Regression results confirmed that economic status was the strongest predictor of family burden, followed by maternal education and learning disability level, with strong and acceptable model fit indices supporting the proposed framework.

CONCLUSION

The study concludes that family burden among mothers of children with learning disabilities is multidimensional and strongly shaped by socioeconomic and contextual factors, particularly financial capacity, educational attainment, and disability severity. The findings highlight the need for integrated policy interventions including financial assistance, parental counseling, and educational support programs to reduce family burden and improve coping and well-being among affected families.