Date of Award

2011

Document Type

Thesis - ECU Access Only

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (Occupational Therapy)

School

School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences

Faculty

Faculty of Computing, Health and Science

First Supervisor

Doctor Sonya Girdler

Second Supervisor

Associate Professor Catherine Elliott

Abstract

AIM: The primary caregiver of a child with cerebral palsy (CP) plays a key role in the child's life. The well-being of a caregiver can impact a child's quality of life, skill development, behaviour and therapy outcomes, This systematic review aimed to identify whether there is a relationship between the mental health of the primary caregiver and the severity of motor impairment of their child with CP. METHODS: Electronic database searches were undertaken in Ebsco host (Cinahl, Medline and Psych Info), Web of Science and Scopus. These searches were time-limited to t)le years 2000-2011. RESULTS: Thirteen articles were found to meet the inclusion criteria. Severity of motor impairment was classified by the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) in .all but one study. The majority (10 out of 13) studies found that there was no difference between the mental health of primary caregivers of children with CP with different GMFCS levels. INTERPRETATION: Severity of motor impairment of a child with CP is not a useful predictor of primary caregiver mental well-being. However, other factors have been identified which appear to influence caregiver mental health which services should be open to exploring and addressing with these children and their families.

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