Relação entre o estresse materno e a inclusão escolar de crianças com paralisia cerebral

• Published in: Arquivos brasileiros de psicologia Vol. 57; no. 1; pp. 46 - 57
• Main Authors: Patrícia Martins de Freitas, Rita de Cássia Lara Carvalho, Maria Ruth Siffert Diniz Teixeira Leite, Vitor Geraldi Haase
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro 01.07.2014
• Subjects: School attending; Inclusion; Maternal stress; Cerebral palsy; Psychosocial adaptation; Social support
• ISSN: 0100-8692

The main objective of the present study is to analyze the relationships between mother's psychological state and school status of children with cerebral palsy (CP). CP is characterized by impairments in several developmental domains, which may function as stressors to the mothers. Instruments applied to the mothers were the Beck Depression Inventory, General Health Questionnaire and a Brazilian version of the Questionnaire on Resources and Stress (Questionário de Estresse para Pais de Crianças com Transtornos do Desenvolvimento). Two hundred and forty five mothers of children with CP were subdivided in three groups, according to the children's school status (regular school, special school, no school). Results showed that mothers of children not attending a school scored worse on two measures, stress and mothers' perceptions of child's characteristics (dependency, and impairment). We suggest that relationships between mothers' psychological state and children's school status may be reciprocal. Higher maternal stress levels and more negative perceptions of their children's functionality may contribute to school and social exclusion. We hypothesize that attending school may offer social support, moderating the psychological impact of being a mother of a CP child.