Affiliations: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine
Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria | Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine,
University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria | Department of Physiotherapy, King Fahd Ibn Abdul-Aziz
Women and Children Hospital, Gusau, Nigeria
Note: [] Correspondence: Umaru M. Badaru, Department of Physiotherapy,
Faculty of Medicine, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria. Tel.: +234 8035913759;
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: This study was aimed at examining possible correlation of
psychosocial adversities with depression in mothers of children with cerebral
palsy (CP) in Nigeria. The cross-sectional survey involved 45 consenting
mothers of children with CP attending physiotherapy clinics of the University
College Hospital, Ibadan, the Federal Medical Center and King Fahd Ibn
Abdul-Aziz Women and Children Hospital Gusau, Nigeria. The psychosocial
adversities scale (PAS) was used to assess psychosocial adversity while
depression was measured with the patient health questionnaire depression scale.
The mean age of the mothers was 32.0 ± 5.0 yr and that of their children
was 2.4 ± 1.5 yr. Spearman's rank order correlation showed a significant
positive correlation between PAS and patient health questionnaire depression
scale scores (r = 0.4; P = 0.006). Significant associations (P < 0.001) were
found between depression and each item on the PAS, i.e. separated household,
problem with extended family, lack of confidants, feeling of loneliness and
isolation of mother. Logistic regression analysis indicated negligible risk of
depression for mothers with low educational status (odds ratio = 0.4; 95%
confidence interval = 0.08–1.1; P = 0.08). The depression risk was more
than fourteen-fold in mothers whose husbands earned low incomes (odds ratio =
14.6; 95% confidence interval = 2.6–82.1 P = 0.002). Psychosocial
adversities are significantly associated with depression in mothers of children
with CP. Poor marital relationships (separated household and problem with
extended family) and inadequate social interaction (feeling of loneliness and
lack of confidants) were the most important psychosocial stressors associated
with depression among mothers of children with CP in Nigeria.
