Estresse e apoio social em cuidadores de crianças com paralisia cerebral

In this study, we aimed to describe the levels of stress and perceived social support for caregivers of \udchildren with cerebral palsy (CP), as well as investigate the relationship between stress, social support, and variables \udrelated to caregivers, the environment and children, namely: the number of children, education level of caregivers, \udfamily income, behavior, and the child’s motor level. This study comprised 50 children with CP between 3 and \ud7.5 years old, their 50 caregivers, and 25 rehabilitation professionals who care for children in health institutions \udfrom the countryside of São Paulo state, Brazil. The following measuring instruments were used: the Gross Motor \udFunction Classification System for Cerebral Palsy, the Lipp’s Inventory of Stress Symptoms in Adults, the Social \udSupport Questionnaire, and a form identifying the participants. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential \udstatistics by the following tests: Chi-square, Fisher exact, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Odds Ratio. The \udresults showed stress among the participating caregivers (66%), with predominance of the resistance phase (93.9%) \udand psychological symptoms (69.7%), low perceived social support for caregivers, concomitant with an adequate \udsatisfaction with the support received, as well as significant relationships of stress versus social support (p = 0.017) \udand education level versus social support (p = 0.037). The data allow analysis of the relationship between the variables \udinvestigated and about the impact of having a child with CP in the family regarding the physical, emotional and \udpsychological well-being of caregivers, besides providing subsidies to think of strategies at different levels of care \udfor families of children with disabilities