Health challenges of mothers with special needs children in Pakistan and the importance of integrating health social workers

Abstract

There is concern that mothers of special needs children in developing countries like Pakistan are neglected populations facing hidden health challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate the kinds of health challenges mothers experience and to highlight the role of health social workers in supporting the needs of mothers. Twenty-one mothers were sampled across three cities and findings were analyzed through a thematic content analysis approach. Findings revealed that mothers faced significant and salient challenges under eight sub-categories of mental health and six sub-categories of physical health. We recommend that health social workers collaborate with healthcare practitioners to improve health services for mothers and also coordinate with other social workers, community members, and policymakers for improving both social and structural support for special needs families.