Mothers' experience of having a child with cerebral palsy. A systematic review.

AIM

To explore, synthesise and present findings of qualitative studies describing the experiences of mothers raising a child with cerebral palsy.

DESIGN

A systematic literature review of the qualitative evidence.

METHODS

A systematic search for qualitative studies published in the following databases: CINAHL (EBSCO), Medline via OVID, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar. The authors independently assessed eligibility, appraised methodological quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program tool for qualitative Research (CASP). An inductive thematic analysis method was adopted to synthesise major findings and to construct core concepts and themes.

RESULTS

Five overarching themes reflecting the experiences and perceptions of mothers raising and caring for a child with cerebral palsy are developed: 1) adapting and making sacrifices; 2) guilt and cultural blame; 3) social stigma and marginalisation; 4) physical, environmental, and financial challenges and 5) healthcare experiences.