What factors influence feeling competent as a parent with multiple sclerosis?

Parenting with a physical disability: A scoping review of assessment methods

INTRODUCTION

Daily childcare can be challenging for parents with a physical disability who have young children. Occupational therapists are valuable facilitators to family participation. However, occupational therapists have reported significant gaps in knowledge when documenting the parenting role of parents with a physical disability in occupational therapy practice. This study explored and described the parenting assessment methods used with parents with a physical disability in the scientific literature.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted, and search results were reviewed by two separate reviewers. The search strategy was applied to five databases (Embase, CINAHL, MEDLINE, HaPI, PsycInfo). Numerical and thematic analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Four thousand one hundred fifty articles were screened, and 73 relevant scientific articles were included. Seventy-six assessment methods were identified, including 20 assessment instruments with few reported population-specific psychometric studies. Most assessments were conducted via interviews (n = 45), followed by questionnaires (n = 27), and only six were performance based. Parenting practices and experience were the two dimensions most assessed, with little attention given to parenting responsibility. Mothers with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, rheumatoid arthritis, and cerebral palsy were the most assessed.

CONCLUSION

Further research is needed to develop specific, multidimensional, and validated parenting assessments for all parents with a physical disability, including performance-based assessments. Formal assessments should be conducted by professionals, including occupational therapists, who have the necessary training.

Predictors of Mood Disorders in Parents With Multiple Sclerosis: The Role of Disability Level, Coping Techniques, and Perceived Social Support

Background:

Being a parent can be demanding and stressful, especially for people with chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Parenting can be disrupted by flare-ups, disease worsening, and other MS symptoms, including mobility problems, pain, fatigue, and cognitive impairment. Mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, have been found to occur at much higher rates in people with MS than in the general population. Surprisingly, less is known about which factors may predict mood disorders in parents with MS. This study aims to identify potential demographic, clinical, and self-reported predictors that contribute to mood disorders measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Methods:

A total of 285 parents with MS completed an anonymous online questionnaire combining sociodemographic, clinical, and family characteristics and scales, validated in Italian, related to coping strategies and social support. Associations between each variable and mood disorders were assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Results:

Disability level, emotional and dysfunctional coping strategies, and perceived social support were significant predictors of mood disorders in parents with MS.

Conclusions:

These findings confirm the importance of identifying risk factors for mood disorders in parents with MS so that early intervention can minimize mood disruptions caused by the disease.