Estrategias de afrontamiento y resiliencia en cuidadores primarios de niños y adolescentes con parálisis cerebral

Abstract

Physical disability involves a process of adaptation for the entire family system. It requires the use of different resources and strategies for coping. This research analyzes and compares the resilient resources and coping strategies used by primary caregivers of children and adolescents diagnosed with cerebral palsy in different degrees. There were 60 participants, primary caregivers of patients with cerebral palsy, attended at the CRIT Michoacán. They were classified into two groups according to the severity of paralysis, all with homogeneous sociodemographic characteristics. Spanish version of the Coping Strategies Inventory and the Resilience Scale for Mexican was applied. To analyze the data, the Student t test for independent groups was used. Statistically significant differences were found in the factors of emotional expression (t=2.44, p=.017) and desiderative thinking (t=3.12, p=.003), of the Coping Strategies Inventory.This suggests that the group of primary caregivers of people with severe cerebral palsy has a greater tendency to improper handling of disability, avoiding stressful situations, fantasizing and avoiding the expression of emotions. And that in the group of primary caregivers of people with mild cerebral palsy there is greater recognition of the feelings and emotional expression. We conclude that the level of caregiver's adaptation is related to the severity and functional independence of disability.