Abstract: This study investigated stigmatization and coping strategies as predictors of depression among parents of autistic children in South-EastNigeria. A total of 138 participants comprising 69 females and 69 males were involved in the study. Participants were parents raising children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and were drawn from five states of South-East Nigeria.Stigmatization Impact Scale (SIS) developed by the researcher was used to assess the presence of stigma and its frequency in parental feeling. Also, Health and Daily Living Form: Adult Form B (HDL-AFB) was used to measure the parents' coping level, and Radloff'sepidemiological studies depression scale (CES-D) validated by Omeje and Okafor was used to measure parents' depressive symptoms. Descriptive statistics.....
Key words: Stigmatization, Coping strategy, Depression, Autism spectrum disorders, parents
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