Investigating Stigma Phenomenon among Mothers with Down Syndrome Children in Isfahan: A Psycho-Social Approach

Stigma is a process that begins with labeling and leads to social avoidance. Stigma can be divided into self and relatives. The purpose of this study was to investigate internalized stigma in mothers of children with Down syndrome; also, the factors which canpredict the stigma.Target population consisted of all mothers who had Down syndrome children registered in Social Welfare Department. A sample of 76 mothers was selected through random sele-ction. Instrument used in this study was developed and validated by rese-archers. Data was analyzed through one sample t-test and multiple regression. The results indicated that internalized stigma exists in mothers of Down syndrome children and mother age was the best predictor in mother stigmatization. The findings indicated that mothers with Down syndrome children in different education level, gender and ages of their children, are at the risk of stigmatization.