A pilot study of mental health and quality-of-life of caregivers of children with cleft lip/palate in India

Background: There has been insufficient and contradictory research to date on the impacts of caring for a child with cleft lip/palate. Therefore this pilot study sought to investigate the mental health and quality of life of primary caregivers of children with cleft lip/palate. Materials and Methods...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Indian journal of psychiatry 2013-04, Vol.55 (2), p.167-169
Main Authors: Gowda, Mahesh, Pai, Nagesh, Vella, Shae-Leigh
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Brief Research Communication
Care and treatment
Caregivers
Children & youth
Cleft palate
Disabled children
Health aspects
Mental health
Morbidity
Parents & parenting
Psychological aspects
Psychological research
Quality of life
Questionnaires
Social aspects
Studies
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background: There has been insufficient and contradictory research to date on the impacts of caring for a child with cleft lip/palate. Therefore this pilot study sought to investigate the mental health and quality of life of primary caregivers of children with cleft lip/palate. Materials and Methods: Seventy-nine primary caregivers of children with cleft lip/palate awaiting a surgical procedure in India completed questionnaires to measure their mental health, quality of life, and demographic variables. Results: The results indicated that half of the sample suffered from poor mental health and a reduced quality of life. Overall perceptions of quality of life were significantly associated with the age of the child requiring care and the contact hours per day spent with the child. Conclusion: It is apparent that caregivers for this population do suffer from a reduced quality of life and poorer mental health. This is especially relevant for older caregivers and those with greater caring responsibilities.
ISSN:0019-5545
1998-3794
DOI:10.4103/0019-5545.111456