The effectiveness of handling training on stress and quality of life among mothers of children with cerebral palsy aged 4-12 years old

Introduction: It is common for parents with cerebral palsy children to expose further stress and affect all aspects of their quality of life. This study was carried out in order to determine the effectiveness of handling training program on the stress and quality of life of mothers with children with cerebral palsy. Materials and Methods: This control trial study was performed with two groups of experimental (n = 29) and control (n = 25) were selected by randomized convenience sampling method. Data collection tools included demographic questionnaire, SF-36 quality of life, the Resource and Stress Questionnaires. All data collected before and after three months of intervention. Statistical analysis was carried out by SPSS, version 16. Results: The mother’s mean age in control and intervention groups were 32.8 (SD = 4.9) and 35.3 (SD = 4.4) years respectively. Also, children’s mean age in control and intervention groups were 6.2 (SD = 2.1) and 7 (SD = 2.8) years. There was a significant difference in quality of life after intervention between two groups (P 0.05). Also, there was a statistically significant difference between all dimensions of stress measures in two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: According to these findings, handling training program reduced stress and enhanced the quality of life of mothers with children with cerebral palsy in this study. Keywords: Quality of life, Stress, Cerebral palsy, Handling training, Caregiver