The Effect of “Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment” Program on Parents of Children With Epilepsy and Other Chronic Neurological Conditions

Parents taking care of children with epilepsy experience stress in their daily lives, which enhances their anxiety, changes their function, and eventually increases their children's behavioral problems. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of creating opportunities for parent empowerment (COPE) program on parents of children with epilepsy or other chronic neurological conditions.

A quasi-experimental clinical trial study was conducted on 88 mothers of hospitalized children with epilepsy aged 3 to 12 using gradual sampling and in two intervention and usual care groups. In the intervention group, the COPE program was conducted by the researcher in three phases and the usual care group receiving 'usual healthcare'. The mothers’ anxiety was assessed in three phase, too.

Results of the present study showed that the effect of time and group-time interaction on the state anxiety and trait anxiety was significant in the intervention group; however, the effect of time was not significant in the usual care group (P = 0.12). The differences of state anxiety and trait anxiety were not significant between the two groups (P = 0.136), which depended on the initial level of anxiety before the intervention. With analyzing covariance after controlling the two variables (namely state anxiety and trait anxiety) before the intervention, the score variations in the state anxiety and trait anxiety were significant at all measurement phases.

The results of this study indicated the positive effect of the COPE program on the anxiety level of parents having children with epilepsy. Given that this technique is non-pharmacological, convenient, easy, and cost effective, it can be used to reduce the parents’ anxiety.