Social support, depression, and quality of life among parents of children with cerebral palsy in Benin, West Africa: a cross-sectional case-control study

Caring for a child with cerebral palsy (CP) is challenging and can significantly impact caregivers' quality of life. This study aimed to examine the psychological state, perceived social support, and quality of life of parents of children with CP in Benin, West Africa. This cross-sectional, case-control design included 50 parents of children with CP (mean age 39.4 ± 8.3 years, 46 mothers) paired with 58 parents of typically developing children (mean age 38.1 ± 7.4 years, 52 mothers) as controls. Both groups completed the Social Provisions Scale (SPS-10), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Medical Outcome Study Short Form (SF-12) to assess social support, depression, and quality of life. Additionally, parents of children with CP completed the Impact on Family Scale to evaluate caregiving burden. The results showed that parents of children with CP reported lower social support and higher depression levels than controls ( P < 0.05). However, their quality of life (both physical and mental scores) was similar to the control group ( P > 0.05). Only depression was significantly linked to lower quality of life ( P < 0.05) in parents of children with CP. In conclusion, parents of children with CP have a comparable physical and mental health-related quality of life to parents of typically developing children, despite experiencing lower perceived social support and higher levels of depression in Benin country. These findings underscore the need for enhanced social and psychological support systems to improve the well-being of families caring for children with CP in such environments.