Psychological Burdens on Parents of Children with Cerebral Palsy at Rehabilitation Centers in Baghdad City

Abstract

Objective: To assess the level of psychological parent burdens related to caring child with cerebral palsy. Identify the relationship between psychological burdens with some socio-demographic data.
Methodology: non- probability (purposive) sample of 100 cases selected of the families of children who have cerebral palsy and who are taking treatment in the rehabilitation centers in Baghdad City. The data collect in 16^th February 2016 to 2^th April 2016. A structured interviewing was conducted to collected information of parent by questionnaire was developed based on the study objectives such development was employed through review of literature and related studies and some international scales include: Caregiver Burden Scale by (Elmslht et al, 1996), Caregiver Burden Inventory by (Caserta, Lund & Wright, 1996), Zaria Burden Interview by (Boon Khan Sang et al, 2010), and the Multi-dimensional Caregiver Strain Index by ((MCSI) by (Stull, 1996). The data analyzed by using descriptive statistical measures and inferential statistical measures.
Results: The finding of the study have revealed that the majority of caregivers were mothers, most of the sample their age (20-39), most of the parent's lives together, they have low level of education, and they suffer in inadequate income, all the mothers were house wife, while most father were self employee and (30%) of them having moderate level of psychological burdens.
Conclusion: Significant association between caregiver (father and mother), occupation of parent & monthly income of family with psychological burden. There are no relationships between level of psychological burden of parents and age of child, duration of illness, level of disability, age of parent, marital status, and level of education, family size and number of children inflicted with same disease.
Recommendations: The study has recommended that rehabilitation centers should provide sufficient opportunities for repeated follow-up interviews which offer not only information on the children's disabilities but also psychological support for the parents; future research recommended Psycho-Social Intervention Programmed to reduce the parents burden of children with cerebral palsy.