The Negative Effects of the Earthquake on Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

There have always been events that dislocated the processes of life. The prevalence of experiencing a traumatic event in life has been variably reported from 21.4% to 89.6%. Traumatic events related to earthquakes, as experienced here, are among such experiences which are highly influencing in nature and inducing anxiety and stress. Such a condition may lead to a severe impairment in quality of life and psychosocial functioning. The aim of this research is to investigate the psychological effects of the earthquake on mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD) after the February 6 earthquake in Turkey. At the same time, the research aims to determine the negative situations and other psychological problems experienced by these mothers and to understand their coping strategies. This is a qualitative and hence descriptive research method. Data collection is through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with the participants. In this way, one obtains an in-depth understanding and elaborate analysis of the emotional and cognitive processes the participants go through. While the special needs of children with autism spectrum disorder require constant care and supervision, increasing the mothers' stress levels in the long term and leading them to develop psychological problems, a large-scale traumatic event such as an earthquake causes an additional psychological burden by creating adverse effects on children's need for order and stability, damaging feelings of security and control of mothers, and increasing symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Finally, such support has the potential to help raise psychological resilience after a disaster.