J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  1998 Oct;22(5):1028-1034.

Estimation of Stress Level in Mothers with Cerebral Palsy Children

• Choi ES
• Park JH
• Kim YT
• Chae JH
• Kim KH
• Shin JN

Abstract

PURPOSE: To estimate the stress level and to evaluate the psychiatric symptoms in mothers of cerebral palsy (CP) children according to the clinical type and severity.
METHODS
Sixty two mothers of CP children and 51 mothers of normal children (control) completed the Daily stress inventory, Schedule of recent life experience, Questionnaire on resources and stress-Friedrich and Symptom checklist-90-revision. The data were statistically analyzed.
RESULTS
1) Rather than the mothers of atonic CP, there were no significant differences in the stress level of every day life and events between mothers of CP children and control. 2) Mothers of CP children showed a higher level of stress related to children, and it was Mothers of statistically significant (p<0.05) quadriplegics and/or severe CP children showed the highest stress level. 3) Mothers of quadriplegic and diplegic types with a moderate disability showed the significantly (p<0.05) high scores in the categories of psychiatric symptoms of somatization, obsessive-compulsiveness, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobia and psychoticism, which may need therapeutic intervention.
CONCLUSION
It seems to be very important to determine the level of stress and psychiatric symptoms in mothers of CP children for the comprehensive rehabilitation of CP children.

Keyword

Cerebral palsy mothers; Stress level; Psychiatric symptoms; Comprehensive rehabilitation

MeSH Terms

Anxiety
Appointments and Schedules
Cerebral Palsy*
Child*
Depression
Hostility
Humans
Life Change Events
Mothers*
Phobic Disorders
Surveys and Questionnaires
Rehabilitation