Stress level in parents of children with cerebral palsy.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the stress level in parents of children with cerebral palsy (CP) using parental stress scale (PSS). Study Design: Cross Sectional study. Setting: Department of Pediatric Medicine, National Institute of Child Health (NICH), Karachi, Pakistan. Period: July 2023 to December 2024. Methods: Parents of CP children of both gender and aged 1-12 years vising outpatient department were analyzed. Demographic and clinical information of the CP children and their parents were noted. Parental stress level was evaluated using PSS. The scale's total possible scores range from 18 to 90, and a score of 51 or above was considered the cut-off value for parents experiencing psychological stress. Results: In a total of 149 children, 81 (54.4%) were female. The mean age and weight of the children were 3.92±1.70 years. The mean parental stress scale score was 57.14±9.97 (ranging between 30-80). There were 114 (76.5%) parents who were having high stress levels. Higher Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCH) grade (p=0.013), relation of parents as father (p=0.006), and relatively higher socio-economic status (p=0.005) were significantly associated with high levels of stress. Bivariate analysis revealed positive significant correlation of GMFCH grade with PSS scores (r=0.232, p=0.004). Conclusion: Very high prevalence of elevated stress levels (76.5%) was reported among parents of CP children. Factors such as GMFCS grade, parental role, and socioeconomic status contributed to high stress.