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Background <p>Cerebral palsy (CP) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder that requires long-term care, posing significant challenges for caregivers. Caregiver burden refers to the physical, emotional, and social challenges faced by individuals providing care for dependent family members. For caregivers of children with CP, the burden is heightened due to the complexity of the child’s condition. Such a burden may lead to fatigue, depression, and a decline in physical and mental health over time. This study aimed to evaluate the severity of caregiver burden, QoL, and self-efficacy among caregivers of children with CP. The study was designed as a cross-sectional study to show the severity of burden, QoL, and self-efficacy among 36 cerebral palsy caregivers at the National Institute of the neuromotor system, Imbaba, Giza governorate, attending outpatient pediatric and rehabilitation clinics.</p> Results <p>The study analyzed the Zarit burden score, revealing an average score of (57.92 ± 8.07). Notably, the majority of caregivers experienced moderate to extreme burden with 36.11% experiencing severe burden. As for the level of dependency among children with CP, most of them (69.44%) were classified as severely dependent, while 30.56% were totally dependent, with a mean score of 26.53 ± 10.41. A significant negative correlation was observed between child dependency and caregiver burden, indicating a higher burden with increased child dependency. In addition, assessment of QoL domains revealed significant challenges in physical health and psychological health, while social and environmental domains showed moderate satisfaction. Moreover, positive correlations were found between child dependency and the physical and psychological QoL domains. The caregiver’s self-efficacy, with a mean self-efficacy score of 20.47 ± 2.68, reflected low to moderate confidence in managing caregiving tasks. In addition, a significant positive correlation highlighted that caregivers of less dependent children reported higher self-efficacy.</p> Conclusions <p>There is a multifaceted impact of caregiving for children with CP, particularly emphasizing the role of child dependency in shaping caregiver experiences. Caregivers of severely dependent children reported significantly higher levels of burden, poorer physical and psychological health, and lower self-efficacy. These findings underscore the physical and emotional toll of caregiving, reflecting the need for targeted support and interventions.</p>

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Burden, self-efficacy, and quality of life among caregivers of cerebral palsy children at the National Institute of Neuromotor System

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月6日

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  • Mariam Yehia Mohamed Abou Taleb,
  • Maha Sayed,
  • Reem El Ghamry,
  • Reem Hashem,
  • Hanaa El Shamy,
  • Omar Mansour

摘要

Background

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder that requires long-term care, posing significant challenges for caregivers. Caregiver burden refers to the physical, emotional, and social challenges faced by individuals providing care for dependent family members. For caregivers of children with CP, the burden is heightened due to the complexity of the child’s condition. Such a burden may lead to fatigue, depression, and a decline in physical and mental health over time. This study aimed to evaluate the severity of caregiver burden, QoL, and self-efficacy among caregivers of children with CP. The study was designed as a cross-sectional study to show the severity of burden, QoL, and self-efficacy among 36 cerebral palsy caregivers at the National Institute of the neuromotor system, Imbaba, Giza governorate, attending outpatient pediatric and rehabilitation clinics.

Results

The study analyzed the Zarit burden score, revealing an average score of (57.92 ± 8.07). Notably, the majority of caregivers experienced moderate to extreme burden with 36.11% experiencing severe burden. As for the level of dependency among children with CP, most of them (69.44%) were classified as severely dependent, while 30.56% were totally dependent, with a mean score of 26.53 ± 10.41. A significant negative correlation was observed between child dependency and caregiver burden, indicating a higher burden with increased child dependency. In addition, assessment of QoL domains revealed significant challenges in physical health and psychological health, while social and environmental domains showed moderate satisfaction. Moreover, positive correlations were found between child dependency and the physical and psychological QoL domains. The caregiver’s self-efficacy, with a mean self-efficacy score of 20.47 ± 2.68, reflected low to moderate confidence in managing caregiving tasks. In addition, a significant positive correlation highlighted that caregivers of less dependent children reported higher self-efficacy.

Conclusions

There is a multifaceted impact of caregiving for children with CP, particularly emphasizing the role of child dependency in shaping caregiver experiences. Caregivers of severely dependent children reported significantly higher levels of burden, poorer physical and psychological health, and lower self-efficacy. These findings underscore the physical and emotional toll of caregiving, reflecting the need for targeted support and interventions.