Vécu psychosocial des parents d’enfants atteints de paralysie cérébrale à Abidjan en 2021

Objective

Evaluate at the psychosocial level, the experience of parents of children with cerebral palsy in Abidjan (RCI).

Methods

Analytical multicenter cross-sectional study carried out over 3 months (April-June 2021) from a sample of 246 biological parents or non-parents of children followed for cerebral palsy. Scales used: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Family Impact of Childhood Disability scale.

Results

Parents aged between 30 and 40 (44.3 %), living with a partner (n = 190) and attending school in 81.7 % of cases. The mean score of the positive FICD items was 14.5 out of 10 and that of the negative items was 20 out of 40, reflecting the presence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in 25 cases (10.3 %) and 22 cases (9 %) respectively in parents. The severity of children's motor impairments was associated with the occurrence of anxiety among parents (P = 0.01) despite their religious faith (P = 0.03). There was no significant association between the children's clinical and sociodemographic parameters, the parents’ religious faith and the parents’ onset of depression (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Childhood CP had an impact on parents’ psychosocial experiences. This impact was associated with the severity of the child's motor impairment, but the social and economic discomfort was independent of the parents’ social and cultural background and family beliefs and ties. Psychological support for parents of children with CP should not be ignored in the follow-up of these children.