Predictors of stress in mothers of children with cerebral palsy in Bangladesh

Objective: To identify the stress experienced by mothers of young children with cerebral palsy in Bangladesh and to determine predictive factors. Methods: We recruited 91 mothers of children with cerebral palsy ages 1.5 t o 5 years as they sought services at an urban and a rural center for their children. Mothers were interviewed with the Self-Report Questionnaire and o ther family background and child behavior measures. The children were exami ned by a pediatrician and by a psychologist. Results: Out of 91, 38 (41.8%) mothers were at risk for psychiatric morbidi ty. Significantly associated factors included living in the rural area with in a poor family, with a relatively older child. The strongest predictor of maternal stress in multivariate analysis was child behavior problems, espe cially those related to burden of caring. Conclusions: Ensuring practical help for mothers and advice on managing com mon behavior problems are important components of intervention, as they may directly help to relieve stress on mothers of young disabled children in d eveloping countries.