The impact of caring for a child with cerebral palsy: quality of life for mothers and fathers.
BACKGROUND
Although it is expected that caring for a child with cerebral palsy (CP) can impact on the quality of life (QOL) of caregivers, the QOL of carers' has yet to be adequately examined. The aims of this study are to: (1) explore the QOL of mothers and fathers of children with CP aged 3-18 years; and (2) examine whether the impact of caring for a child with CP changes from childhood to adolescence.


METHODS
A qualitative study was conducted utilizing a grounded theory framework. Twenty-four mothers and 13 fathers of children and adolescents with CP aged 3-7 years (n = 15), 8-12 years (n = 10) and 13-18 years (n = 12) and with varying levels of impairment (GMFCS Level I = 1, II = 4, II = 3, IV = 5, V = 12) participated in semi-structured interviews about their QOL. The transcripts were analysed to identify issues affecting parental QOL.


RESULTS
There were no differences in parental QOL among subgroups (i.e. mothers and fathers, age groups, GMFCS levels). Parental QOL ranged across a wide spectrum. Caring for a child with CP affects a parent's physical well-being, social well-being, freedom and independence, family well-being and financial stability. Parents indicated that they often feel unsupported by the services they access.


CONCLUSIONS
Caring for a child with CP can both positively and negatively impact on a parent's life. There is value for both parents and children if parental concerns and determinants of QOL are considered in overall programme planning and service delivery for children and their families.
Davis
E
E
McCaughey Centre: VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Level 5, 207 Bouverie St, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia. eda@unimelb.edu.au
Shelly
A
A
Waters
E
E
Boyd
R
R
Cook
K
K
Davern
M
M
Reddihough
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005192:Family Health; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires