The effect of parent-based occupational therapy on parents of children with cerebral palsy: a randomised controlled trial

Background/Aims Parents of children with cerebral palsy face higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression, sadness, exhaustion and burnout. Parent-based therapies have been found to increase parents' satisfaction with therapy, parent-child interactions and reduced parental stress. This study examined the effects of parent-based occupational therapy on stress levels, coping skills, and emotional skills and competencies of parents of children with cerebral palsy. Methods A total of 15 children and their parents who were admitted to the paediatric rehabilitation unit for occupational therapy were divided into two groups (control group: n=7, study group: n=8) using the coin toss randomisation method. The control group received standard occupational therapy, while the study group received parent-based occupational therapy for 45 minutes a session, twice a week, until 10 sessions had been completed. Participants were evaluated before and after the intervention. Results The study group showed a decrease in stress levels (P=0.034) and increases in coping skills (P=0.016), and emotional skills and competencies (P=0.036). In addition, only an improvement in parents' stress levels (P=0.046) was observed in the control group. Conclusions The parent-based occupational therapy programme was more effective regarding stress levels, coping skills, emotional skills and competencies of the families of children with cerebral palsy compared to classical occupational therapy. This study is important in terms of demonstrating the benefits of parent-based occupational therapy for parents of children with cerebral palsy.