The Effect of “Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment” Program on Parents of Children With Epilepsy and Other Chronic Neurological Conditions

OBJECTIVES: Parents taking care of children with epilepsy experience stress in their daily lives, which enhances their anxiety, changes their function, and eventually increases their children's behavioral problems. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of creating opportunities for parent empowerment (COPE) program on parents of children with epilepsy or other chronic neurological conditions. MATERIAL & METHODS: A quasi-experimental clinical trial was conducted on 88 mothers of hospitalized children with epilepsy aged 3 to 12 years. In the intervention group, the COPE program was conducted by the researcher in three phases and the usual care group received usual healthcare. The mothers’ anxiety was assessed in three phases in both groups. RESULTS: Results of the present study showed that the effect of time and group-time interaction on the state anxiety and trait anxiety was significant in the intervention group; however, the effect of time was not significant in the usual care group (P = 0.12). The differences of state anxiety and trait anxiety were not significant between the two groups (P = 0.136), which depended on the baseline level of anxiety. By analyzing the covariance after controlling the two variables at baseline, it was observed that the score variations in the state anxiety and trait anxiety were significant at all studied time points. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study indicated the positive effect of the COPE program on the anxiety of parents of children with epilepsy. Since this technique is non-pharmacological, convenient, easy-to-apply, and cost-effective, it can be used to reduce the parents’ anxiety.