Perceived Stress and Coping Among Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Lagos State, South West Nigeria

Caregiving for a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder is associated with substantially elevated stress compared to caregiving for typically developing children, and the coping resources and strategies available to Nigerian caregivers in urban settings require systematic examination. This study examines perceived stress and coping strategies among caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey is conducted with 200 primary caregivers recruited from three specialist autism support centres and one general child development clinic in Lagos Mainland and Lagos Island. The Zarit Burden Interview and the COPE Inventory are administered alongside a questionnaire capturing caregiver demographics, child age, autism severity level, family income, and social support access. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression are computed in SPSS. Available literature from South West Nigerian caregiver populations identifies inadequate professional support, financial burden, and social stigma as the dominant stressors, with problem-focused coping linked to better caregiver outcomes in comparable contexts. The Stress-Coping Model of Lazarus and Folkman and the Family Stress Model provide the theoretical framework. Findings are expected to identify specific stress predictors and coping preferences, informing the development of caregiver support groups and psychoeducation programmes in Lagos autism services. Keywords: perceived stress, coping, caregivers, autism spectrum disorder, Lagos State.