The Effects of Compassion-focused Therapy on Anxiety and Depression in the Mothers of Children With Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Background & Aims of the Study: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common chronic motor disability in children. CP can cause depression and anxiety in the mothers of affected children. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) on anxiety and depression in the mothers of children with CP. Materials and Methods: This was an experimental study with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up and a control group design. The study sample consisted of 40 mothers of children with CP who were selected by convenience sampling method. We randomly divided the study participants into experimental and control groups (n=20/group). The research instruments included the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The experimental group underwent eight 60-minute sessions weekly sessions of CFT. The follow-up step was performed after 45 days. The obtained data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics, such as mean, standard deviation, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA). Data analysis was performed using SPSS v. 24. Results: The Mean±SD pre-test and post-test scores of anxiety and depression were measured as 28.80±9.24) and 16.25±7.40 in the experimental group and 38.80±10.27 and 28.00±5.01, respectively in the control group. The obtained results suggested that CFT effectively reduced anxiety and depression in the explored mothers of children with CP (P<0.01). Conclusion: According to the present study results, CFT can be used to reduce anxiety and depression in the mothers of children with CP and accordingly improve their quality of life.