Barriers to Support for Parents of Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Qualitative Study

Parents who have children with cerebral palsy are exposed to the complicated care procedures of the afflicted child. Thus, they need support in order to decrease problems in this respect. However, their needs are not sufficiently met. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore barriers to support for parents of children with cerebral palsy.

This qualitative study was conducted in 2011-2012 using content analysis. Purposeful sampling was used to select the participants and continued until data saturation was reached. As a result, 31 participants from among parents of children with cerebral palsy referred to the rehabilitation centers in Tehran, Iran, and experts were selected. The data were collected by in-depth semi-structured interviews and from collected documents, and were analyzed by induction method.

Data analysis results revealed three main categories of organizational barriers (poor institutional coordination and communication, and lack of supportive laws with administrative support), professional barriers (poor teamwork, and lack of professional competency), and family barriers.

Through understanding parent's needs and complementing supportive laws for parents with afflicted children, coordination among supportive organizations, and planning for comprehensive care along with supportive services packages, policy makers and health services managers can help eliminate parent's problems with regard to caring for their children with cerebral palsy.