Determination of the self-efficacy levels of parents with a child with cerebral palsy and the comparison of the parental self-efficacy levels

Abstract

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the self- efficacy levels of the parents of children with cerebralpalsy (CP) and compare their parental self- efficacy levels.Methods: The sample of this descriptive study consisted of 153 parents (106 mothers and 47 fathers) with children withCP who were attending four different special education and rehabilitation centers affiliated to Konya Provincial Direc torate of National Education. Of these parents, 47 were married couples. The data were collected using the InformationForm and the Parenting Self-Efficacy Instrument for Children with Disabilities (PSICD) between February and March 2019. Results: The average age of children with CP was 8.83±4.58 and 54.2% of them were male, 72.5% of them did notattend school, %43.8 of them were congenitally handicapped and 46.4% of them had more than two affected extrem ities. The average self-efficacy perception score of the parents was found to be 5.91±1.03. It was determined that theparents whose family type is nuclear family and whose children are girls have higher self-efficacy scores. The averageself-efficacy score of the parents according to the affected limb was found to be significant. Parental self-efficacy scorewas found to be lower in parents with children with more than two affected limbs than parents with one or two affect ed limbs. The analyses performed to reveal the effects of the disease on the lives of the individuals showed that thereis a difference between the self-efficacy mean scores of the parents and out-of-home responsibilities and the timeallocated to others. It was also found that there was a difference between the emotional states of anger and sadnessexperienced by the individuals and the self-efficacy mean scores of the parents. A significant difference was foundbetween the male parents' sense of affection and the parents' self-efficacy mean scores. It was determined that thefeeling of affection was higher. Conclusion: The mean self-efficacy score of the parents with a child with CP was found to be high, which is affected bysome characteristics of the parents. The self-efficacy mean scores of the parents were similar.