Emotional Burden of Care in Mothers of Children with Cerebral Palsy: Functional Dependency, Emotional Intelligence, and Coping Strategies

BackgroundCerebral palsy (CP) is caused by a static and non progressive injury to the brain. Children with CP need continuous and dedicated attention from caregivers. Mothers of children with CP experience emotional burden, reducing their life quality and exhausting their condition to care. The coping strategies (CS) in mothers of children with CP are ineffective, exacerbating anxiety and negative affect, and present inadequate levels of emotional intelligence (EI).ObjectivesThis work analyses the relationship between emotional burden of care, EI, and CS in mothers of children with CP; and compares this relationship depending on functional dependence<acute accent>s children.MethodLatina mothers of 6-16-year-old children with CP. The instruments used were the Barthel Index, Family Symptom Inventory, Coping Strategies Inventory, and Schutte Self-report Emotional Intelligence.ResultsAn association between high levels of the emotional burden of care, a high propensity to use disengagement CS and low levels of EI was found. High levels of the emotional burden of care and high use of problem-focused disengagement CS were found in mothers of total children with functional dependence.ConclusionsIntervention programs should be designed to educate and stimulate personal resources to deal with the emotional burden of caregiving effectively.