title: Mental health, health related quality of life and recurrent musculoskeletal pain in children with cerebral palsy 8-18 years old.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To extend knowledge on mental health with children's self-report and explore mental health and health related quality of life (HRQL) in a context of recurrent musculoskeletal pain in cerebral palsy (CP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-three participants, mean age 14.2 ± 2.8 years, were assessed with clinical examination, interview and questionnaires. Gross motor function was GMFCS level I 42%, level II 42%, level III 12% and level IV-V 5%. Children self-reported mental health on SDQ (Strengths and Difficulty Questionnaire), HRQL on PedsQL (Pediatric Quality of Life), and pain on CHQ (Child Health Questionnaire). Mothers proxy-reported on the same questionnaires and reported own mental health on GHQ (General Health Questionnaire).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both self-reported mental health and HRQL was better than proxy-reported. Recurrent musculoskeletal pain was associated with more mental health problems and reduced HRQL in self-reports, but not in proxy-reports.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In CP, the importance of child-report on mental health and HRQL when possible, in addition to parent proxy-report, cannot be overstated. Close co-operation between (re)habilitation and child psychiatry is urgent. Further research on self-reported mental health and impact of mental health problems is warranted together with a focus on the impact of recurrent musculoskeletal pain on participation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Women and Children, Oslo University Hospital, Norway. kjersti.ramstad@ous-hf.no
authors.forename: Kjersti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ramstad
authors.forename: Reidun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jahnsen
authors.forename: Ola H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Skjeldal
authors.forename: Trond H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Diseth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D009664:Norway; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D019727:Proxy; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012008:Recurrence; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires