TITLE:
Socio-Cultural Representations and Therapeutic Itineraries of Parents of Autistic Children Followed in the INSP’s Children’s Mental Health Services
AUTHORS:
Koffi Paulin Konan, Brahim Samuel Traore, Ettié Sylvie Kouassi, Yao Etienne Kouadio, Kouadio Régis Aymar Yao, Yessonguilana Jean-Marie Yeo-Tenena
KEYWORDS:
Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Socio-Cultural Representation, Parents, Therapeutic Itinerary
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.13 No.1,
December
12,
2022
ABSTRACT: Pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) remain little known to
populations in developing countries. In black
Africa their social representations remain strongly influenced by local
belief systems. The general objective of this study was to understand the perceptions and representations of Ivorian parents vis-à-vis PDD. This was a mixed (qualitative and quantitative) prospective
cross-sectional study with a descriptive aim that involved a sample of 49
parents. The sampling was of the qualitative type by multiple cases with
reasoned choice by saturation. Our results showed that male parents were mostly
aged between 40 - 49 years (48.98%) with a higher level of education (67.34%) while mothers
were mostly aged between 30 - 39 (61.22%) and a higher level (30.61%). Autistic
children were negatively perceived by their parents: either as a source of psychological suffering (82.85%),
or as mysterious children who sacrificed
their parents (44.66%), or as “bobo” children (mute children in common Ivorian language) (16.66%) or like rude
children (13.34%). The supposed origin of the disorder according to the
parents was mystical-religious (60.94%); natural (25%); hereditary (6.25%). In
6.25% of cases, PDD were assumed to be of
unknown or iatrogenic origin attributable to vaccination (1.56%). 75.51% of parents said that in addition
to conventional medical therapies, they also used traditional therapies.
The use of this therapeutic alternative would be linked to the perceptions and
beliefs that feed the socio-cultural representations of our respondents.