Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Yoly Zentella

Abstract

Because of cultural and religious norms and associated stigma, some parents of a child with a mental illness or developmental disorder are hesitant to seek help for their child. The purpose of the study is to better understand how religious and ethnic culture reinforces stigma and its impact on a parent’s decision to seek help. This phenomenological qualitative study was conducted with Muslim Arab American immigrant parents, including first and second generations, in the United States who had a child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within the last 15 years. Semistructured interviews were conducted to gather data exploring these parents’ lived experiences and perceptions of stigma from their family and community. The social stigma theory provided a lens for understanding how culture can affect the decision to seek help for a child with an ASD. Findings of this study indicated that participant parents had an emotional experience coming to terms with the diagnosis of their child, difficulties telling family and community, and determining how to get the help they needed for their child. Significant positive social change areas relating to this study may include increased information and awareness of current difficulties for both consumers and providers of care for children with ASD in a group within the United States that has not significantly been studied.

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