Psychological impact of cerebral palsy on families: The African perspective

Abstract

Background:Psychological stress associated with cerebral palsy (CP) is known to be one of the most depressing conditions of families. In the traditional African society, some peculiar factors may contribute to the stress.Aims:The aims of this study were to identify and describe, from the African perspective, the psychological impact of CP on families and determine the strategies adopted by families in coping with it.Settings and Design:The study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey conducted in the Physiotherapy Department of a tertiary hospital.Materials and Methods:Participants were 52 parents of children with CP. They completed a questionnaire designed to determine the degree of psychological stress on the families and strategies adopted to cope with the stress.Statistical Analysis:Descriptive statistics were used to show responses in graphical formats.Results:Respondents agreed that having adequate knowledge of CP would help them cope well with the demands of taking care of children with CP. 38.5% of respondents said that people in the society accused them of some wrongdoing that has made their children to have CP. Personal problems experienced include loss of job, lack of concentration at work, loss of family joy, and derangement of financial affairs of the family. 26 (50%) of them resort to religious/spiritual intervention as an alternative or complementary mode of treatment for their children while 28% resort to dependence on the extended family system for support.Conclusion:Families caring for children with CP generally have a positive attitude towards their children. However, there is need to educate the public on the causes of CP and treatment options available to families.

The experience of carers of children with cerebral palsy living in rural areas of Ghana who have received no rehabilitation services: A qualitative study

“…In Denham, Adongo, Freydberg, and Hodgson's (2010) mixed methods study, participants (community and family members, health nurses, and spiritualists) in Northern Ghana consistently identified children with disability as "spirit children," which they defined as "bush spirits born into a family in human forms so that they can access the good things and destroy them" (p.611). These traditional and uninformed views of CP are reflected in the findings of other studies (Gona et al, 2010;McNally & Mannan, 2013;Olawale, Deih, & Yaadar, 2013). The prevalence of these misconceptions in rural settings in African countries is alarming, as they have negative implications for the caregiving process and decrease the efficacy of rehabilitation programmes when these are available (Nyante et al, 2017).…”

The Mental Health Problems of Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy at Self Help Group

“…terutama biaya perawatan anak (Olawale, 2013). Beban finansial tersebut akan berdampak pada respon psikologis dari pengasuh.…”

Impact of Mental and Health Promotion on Parents Caring for Children with Cerebral Palsy in Ile-Ife, South-West, Nigeria

“…In a cross-sectional descriptive survey conducted in the Physiotherapy Department of a tertiary hospital in Nigeria, the authors found that personal problems that were experienced by parents of children with cerebral palsy included loss of job, lack of concentration at work, loss of family joy as well as derangement of financial affairs of the family. They however concluded that families caring Texila International Journal of Public Health Volume 6, Issue 1, Feb 2018 for children with cerebral palsy generally had a positive attitude towards their children despite the challenges [15]. Till date, there is paucity of data on health promotion and stress management intervention for parents of cerebral palsy children in African countries especially, in Nigeria.…”