Psychosocial adversities and depression in mothers of children with cerebral palsy in Nigeria

Abstract

This study was aimed at examining possible correlation of psychosocial adversities with depression in mothers of children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Nigeria. The cross-sectional survey involved 45 consenting mothers of children with CP attending physiotherapy clinics of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, the Federal Medical Center and King Fahd Ibn Abdul-Aziz Women and Children Hospital Gusau, Nigeria. The psychosocial adversities scale (PAS) was used to assess psychosocial adversity while depression was measured with the patient health questionnaire depression scale. The mean age of the mothers was 32.0 ± 5.0 yr and that of their children was 2.4 ± 1.5 yr. Spearman's rank order correlation showed a significant positive correlation between PAS and patient health questionnaire depression scale scores (r = 0.4; P = 0.006). Significant associations (P < 0.001) were found between depression and each item on the PAS, i.e. separated household, problem with extended family, lack of confidants, feeling of loneliness and isolation of mother. Logistic regression analysis indicated negligible risk of depression for mothers with low educational status (odds ratio = 0.4; 95% confidence interval = 0.08–1.1; P = 0.08). The depression risk was more than fourteen-fold in mothers whose husbands earned low incomes (odds ratio = 14.6; 95% confidence interval = 2.6–82.1 P = 0.002). Psychosocial adversities are significantly associated with depression in mothers of children with CP. Poor marital relationships (separated household and problem with extended family) and inadequate social interaction (feeling of loneliness and lack of confidants) were the most important psychosocial stressors associated with depression among mothers of children with CP in Nigeria.