Quality of Life and Related Factors in Child and Adolescent with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Introduction

Cerebral palsy (CP) interferes with the quality of life (QOL) of children with CP, and given that parents report having to guide their children’s decision making often, it is important to understand the psychosocial factors that have a potential in?uence on parent-proxy reports.

Aim

To examine the impact of maternal anxiety and depression symptoms on parent proxy-reported health-related QOL (HRQOL) scores for children with CP while controlling the other clinical and demographical variables that may have an effect on HRQOL.

Method

The HRQOL scores of 97 outpatients with cerebral palsy, aged 7–18 years, were assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Parent versions (PedsQL-P). Each patient’s type of CP, gross and fine motor function levels, severity of intellectual disability, and other clinical variables were recorded. Each mother’s depression symptoms level was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and anxiety symptoms levels with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).

Results

According to the regression analyses, the male gender, severity of intellectual disability (ID), and mothers’ BAI scores had negative effects on the PedsQL-P physical scores, and severity of ID and mothers’ BDI scores had negative effects on the PedsQL-P psychosocial scores. Regarding the determinants of total HRQOL, severity of ID, GMFCS score, and mothers’ BDI scores negatively predicted the PedsQL-P total scores.

Conclusion

The findings show signi?cant predictor effects of the mothers’ anxiety and depressive symptoms, independent from other clinical variables, on the mother-rated HRQOL scores in children with CP.