‘There is family tension, but they understand…’: familial and sibling relationships following the diagnosis of cerebral palsy in children in Ghana

Abstract

The challenges faced by parents raising children with cerebral palsy (CP) have been well explored in the literature. However, little attention has been paid to the experiences of parents raising children with CP in low-income countries, such as Ghana. Objective: Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore parents’ experiences of raising children with CP, specifically focusing on the relationships between spouses and between children with CP and their typically developing siblings. Method: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 parents, who were purposively selected from the largest tertiary hospital in Ghana. Results: The results revealed that typically developing children accept their siblings with CP as their equals and even take up domestic responsibilities to lessen the burden on their parents. However, the parents reported experiencing marital and extended family conflict, financial burden and negative attitudes from spouses, resulting in family tensions. Conclusion: The implications of these findings for policy-making have also been discussed.