Bidang Kajian : Keluarga
Pelajar/Pengkaji Oleh: Nik Nor Fatihah Binti N Mahamed
Alamat Emel: hsmdrfatihah@gmail.com
Tarikh: 05/03/2026
Abstrak Kajian
Mental Health Status and Its Associated Factors Among Caregivers of Children with Special Needs in Samarahan and Kuching Districts, Sarawak
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Caregivers of children with special needs (CWSN) experience significant psychological, economic, and social challenges affecting their well-being and caregiving quality, yet research in East Malaysia remains limited. This study determined the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among caregivers in Samarahan and Kuching districts, Sarawak, and identified associated factors.
Methodology: A cross-sectional design recruited 292 caregivers aged 18 and above from Pusat Pemulihan Dalam Komuniti (PPDK) between October 2024 and August 2025. Data collection used validated Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) and Duke Social Support Index (DSSI-11). Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and binary logistic regression were conducted (significance at p < 0.05).
Result: Most respondents were women (69.9%), married (92.1%), and with low income (65.4%). The mean age was 41.3 years. The main child disability types were learning difficulties (41.1%) and multiple disabilities (34.2%). Anxiety prevalence was highest (47.6%), followed by depression (31.8%) and stress (20.2%). Bivariate analysis found significant associations between mental health status and caregiver gender, income, number of disabled children, child disability type, and social support. Logistic regression revealed anxiety was independently associated with lower income (AOR 1.88), caring for two or more disabled children (AOR 0.31), and very high social support (AOR 3.81). Stress was predicted by child’s disability type (AOR 0.36) and high social support (AOR 7.20). Depression correlated with poor social support in bivariate analysis.
Conclusion: Caregiver mental health in Sarawak is significantly influenced by caregiving burden and social support, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen social support systems through PPDK to protect caregiver’s well-being and optimize child outcomes.
Keywords: anxiety, caregiver mental health, children with special needs, social support, Sarawak