Psychological Problems in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Its Relationship with Health-Related Quality of Life

Aim: To investigate the association between psychological problems and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) parameters in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Method: A convenience sample size of 68 children with CP (mean age: 6.82 years and standard deviation: 1.8; 31 males and 37 females) were recruited in the study. Parent-reported versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life were used to detect the presence of psychological symptoms and HRQOL outcomes in children with CP. Psychological symptoms included emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer problems, and prosocial behavior. Results: Children with hemiplegic, diplegic, and ataxic CP were mostly found to be in scoring band of close to average on SDQ-Total difficulties Scale (TDS) (SDQ-TDS<14), whereas those with quadriplegic and dyskinetic CP were in very high scoring band (SDQ-TDS >20) on the SDQ-TDS. In terms of association, there were moderate to strong associations between scores for psychological symptoms and HRQOL (r=-0.45 to 0.860). Conclusion: The results suggest that the nature and extent of mental health problems vary among CP subtypes, with children with tetraplegic and dyskinetic CP more likely to experience mental health symptoms. Given the potential benefits of physical activity on both HRQOL outcomes and psychological mental symptoms, it is essential to encourage children with CP to participate in more physical activities.