Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
A with disabled child have a great burden on caregiver is, they are under the risk of having depression, anger, and can be under great stress. Caregivers have stroking emotional and behavioural changes such as forgetfulness, depression, dependence, lack of motivation, often felt confined, and fatigue from their responsibilities.
OBJECTIVES:
To assess the psychological burden of child with Cerebral Palsy (CP) upon his/ her caregivers.
METHODOLOGY:
A descriptive study was conducted in the Helena Center (HC) in Erbil Governorate for handicapped children from 15th February to 15th March 2005; Data were analyzed by using frequencies, percentages, mean of scores, comparative significant, Pearson's correlation, and multi regression analysis.
RESULTS:
Of the study indicate that (85%) of caregivers are child's mothers (68%) their age between (25–38) years, (60%) are illiterate, (79%) come from low Socio Economic Status (SES), (46%) live in crowded situations, (50%) of CP at preschool age, (54%) were males, (58%) of CP children diagnosed at infant stage. (80%) of CP is spastic type, (34.4%) of CP children have mutism, and (33.7%) has Mental Retardation (MR) accompanying CP.
CONCLUSION:
There is a highly significant association between the psychological burden and the age of caregiver, crowding index, complications like mutism, MR and epilepsy.