Availability and Accessibility of Mental Health, Psychotherapy and ASD-Related Services for Parents Raising Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Kitwe and Ndola, Zambia

This article explored how parents raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience the availability and accessibility of mental health and ASD-related services in Kitwe and Ndola Districts of Copperbelt Province, Zambia. The study adopted a qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological approach involving twelve parents aged 24–62 years, selected through criterion purposive sampling. Data were generated through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and analyzed using Reflective Thematic Analysis. Data were collected between February and May 2026. Four themes were developed: limited availability of specialised mental health services; geographic and structural access barriers; financial and professional service gaps; and emotional isolation and cultural barriers to help-seeking. The findings indicate that access involves more than the physical presence of services. Parents’ experiences were shaped by whether services were available, geographically reachable, financially affordable, and professionally responsive and sensitive to their emotional and caregiving needs. Taken together, the themes demonstrate that accessibility is relational and experiential, extending beyond the formal availability of services. The study highlights the need for coordinated, affordable, and family-centered mental health and ASD-related support for parents raising children with autism in Zambia