The Effectiveness of Cerebral Palsy Support Intervention on Perceived Social Support Among Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy in North-Eastern Region, Malaysia

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a lifelong disorder that requires a fulltime commitment from the caregivers. Due to the complexity of care and complications associated with CP, the caregivers of children with CP require a good social support. This study aimed to determine the impact of CP support intervention on caregivers perceived social support.This quasi-experimental study involved caregivers of children with CP from community-based rehabilitation (CBR) centers. The intervention group (n=21) were given CP Support intervention through provision of information and social support from a multidisciplinary team including governmental, non-governmental organizations (NGO) and parents. It contains information enrichment workshop (IEW), caregivers support group (CSG), and WhatsApp group. The control group (n=45) received only usual care. Factorial ANCOVA revealed that higher level of perceived social support was observed in the intervention group at the end of the study. The intervention effect was significant after six months post intervention when other variables were controlled (p = 0.031). Findings of this study highlighted the favorable outcome of the CP Support intervention program on the caregivers’ perceived social support through provision of information and social support.