Physical and mental health among caregivers of children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Background: While the hardships faced by children with cerebral palsy are well known, there is a crying need to understand if their caregivers also suffer both mentally and physically due to the disability of the children. Aim: To study the physical and mental health of the caregivers of children with cerebral palsy and how various factors may influence the same. Settings and Design: This was a descriptive study and was conducted in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Materials and Methods: Study sample consisted of 65 primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy. Questionnaires about physical and mental health from family burden scale were used. Descriptive statistics and multiple regressions were used for data analysis. Results: Both physical and mental health of the caregivers were affected to some extent. A significant association was found between physical health of caregivers and duration of knowing the diagnosis, seizures, and mental retardation in the children. Moreover, impact on mental health was significantly associated with total number of children, duration of care giving, knowing the diagnosis, speech disturbance, seizures, and mental retardation in children. Conclusions: Caregivers of children with cerebral palsy experience some effects on their physical and mental health, which are associated with various factors. Therefore, healthcare professionals should also provide care and support to these caregivers, so that they can effectively and efficiently care for their children with cerebral palsy.