Hope facilitators in parents with children suffering from cerebral palsy: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background: There is ample evidence indicating that the parents of children with cerebral palsy report the experience of hope, despite all problems to which they are exposed. Objectives: This study aimed to explain the factors facilitating hope regarding the experiences of parents having children suffering from cerebral palsy. Methods: This qualitative study was carried out using the content analysis method. The experiments of 17 parents (11 females and 6 males) having children with cerebral palsy were collected in in-depth unstructured interviews in 2019, and then content analysis was performed using Strauss and Corbin's approach. The purposive sampling method was used as long as data saturation was reached. After that, the collected data were analyzed using the content analysis method. Results: In this study, several factors were extracted as facilitators of hope in parents of children with cerebral palsy. These effective facilitating factors were classified into four main categories: promising treatment, positive beliefs, motivational drivers, and support networks. Conclusions: Various factors can be effective in promoting hope in parents of children with cerebral palsy, the detection of which would help developing educational and counseling programs and providing support for such parents.