Rousseau MC, Baumstarck K, Khaldi-Cherif S, Brisse C, Felce A, Moheng B, Loundou A, Billette de Villemeur T, Auquier P, French Polyhandicap Group.
PloS one 2019, 14(2):e0211640. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211640. eCollection 2019.
Mediation/Education :
Multiple disability is a severe and complex handicap defined by the combination of profound intellectual impairment and severe motor deficits. Parents of people with multiple disabilities are chronically confronted with stressful situations.
The objectives of this study are :
- determine the quality of life of a large panel of parents of people with multiple disabilities, and compare it with that of the general French population (people of the same age and sex)
- identify potential determinants of these parents’ quality of life
The method used is that of a cross-sectional study. Participants had to be over 18 and the parents of a person with multiple disabilities. The data collected concerned socio-demographic dimensions, health and psychological state. The health of people with multiple disabilities was also taken into account.
The study shows that the quality of life of the parents of a person with multiple disabilities is severely impaired. The determinants of quality of life that have the greatest impact are financial factors, those linked to the parents’ health, and the coping strategies used to deal with the difficulties encountered. The health status of the multihandicapped person was not associated with the parents’ quality of life.
This study could therefore enable social workers and healthcare decision-makers to take specific action to support these parents, by acting on these determinants.