Psychological Features of Parents Raising Children with Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is the main cause of disabilities among diseases of nervous system in childhood. According to the World Health Organization, the number of children born with cerebral palsy is 3-4 cases per 1000. The birth of a child with disabilities causes disorder of the normal course of family's life and often leads to disruption of relationships in the family. The reason is a huge psychological burden that the child's family members have to carry. The purpose of the research is to study the psychological features of parents raising children with cerebral palsy. Research methods are interviewing, testing (test for anticipatory competence by Mendelevich; Inclination to dependent behavior method by Mendelevich; Beck Depression Inventory; The Quality of Life Assessment inventory (SF-36 Health Status Survey); inventory of the emotional relations in the family by Zakharova; parental attitude inventory by Schaefer and Bell (PARI method). Experimental group included 25 parents of children with cerebral palsy who were undergoing rehabilitation at the center for children and adolescents with disabilities. Control group consisted of 25 parents raising children without neurological and somatic pathologies in one of Kazan educational institutions. The research results showed that parents raising children with cerebral palsy perform a reduced level of communication and insufficient ability to anticipate life events and situations. Parents of both groups have an increased tendency to addictive behavior, a high focus on psychoactive substances use and an increased risk of developing psychological dependence on psychoactive substances. Parents of children with cerebral palsy have a higher level of depression than parents of the control group. Parents of children with cerebral palsy show decreased activity and deterioration of health in general; their physical activity is limited by the actual state of health compared to the control group. The interests of mothers of children with cerebral palsy are limited only to the interests and concerns of the family and they tend to feel maternal self-sacrifice. The results of the study can be used to enhance parent-child relationships and the adaptation process.