Caregiver Burden and Social Support among Mothers Raising Children with Developmental Disabilities in South Korea

Abstract

This study examines caregiver burden and social supports perceived by mothers raising children with developmental disabilities in South Korea. Mothers residing in the metropolitan areas of Seoul (n = 181) responded to the mail survey with a 56.6% response rate. Respondents expressed a high level of overall burden, particularly in financial domains. Greater subjective caregiver burden for these mothers was associated with: increased disability‐related costs; maternal factors such as being younger and having higher educational attainment; and less social support. Extra cost related to disabilities was the strongest predictor of increased caregiver burden. Findings indicate that social support can reduce this burden. Implications for the practices of social service agencies and policy are discussed.