Prevalence of depression and quality of life in primary caregiver of children with cerebral palsy

OBJECTIVE: Study the correlation of depression and quality of life (QoL) in primary caregivers (mothers) of children with cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 203 primary caregivers (mothers) of children with CP. The depression and QoL in the caregivers were assessed using the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale and World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF) (physical, psychological, social and environmental domains), respectively. The child’s gross motor function level was determined using the Gross Motor Functional Classification System-Expanded and Revised (GMFCS-ER). The association of depression and QoL in mothers to functional limitation in children were assessed. For statistical methods, P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The severity of the depression showed a statistically significant negative correlation with the physical domain (r = −0.498, P < 0.0001), psychological domains (r = −0.486, P < 0.0001), social relationships (r = −0.165, P = 0.019) and environmental domains (r = −0.195, P = 0.005). The mean QoL domains scores showed a decreasing trend with increasing motor dysfunction of the child, with a statistical association for physical (r = −0.327, P < 0.0001) and psychological domains (r = −0.440, P < 0.0001). Out of all the baseline demographic factors, the child’s age was a significant risk factor affecting the mother’s QoL (P = 0.041). CONCLUSION: CP, being a debilitating disease, requires around-the-clock caregiving for the child. However, caregiving causes a significant impact on the QoL with increasing severity of depression among the mothers.