Introduction:

Mothers play a fundamental role in the rehabilitation of a child with cerebral palsy, which is why it is important to know on their mental health.

Objective:

Determine the depressive symptomatology and associated factors in mothers of children with cerebral palsy in rehabilitation.

Methods:

Cross-sectional observational study in 112 mothers of children with cerebral palsy from the National Institute of Rehabilitation, Lima city. The Beck II depression inventory was applied for depressive symptomatology and the recording of factors of the mother and the child.

Results:

45.54% presented mild/moderate/severe depressive symptoms: mild level 24.11%, moderate: 16.07% and severe: 5.36%, represented the risk group. Factors of the mother (p< 0.05): 66.67% single/separated mothers presented symptoms; 57.45% of extreme poverty; 55.56% single-parent/extended/compound family; 75% of mothers without support; 60% regular relationship or with no partner; with guilt 64.71% and 77.78% of worker/domestic worker occupation. Child factors: 50.55% moderate/severe severity of disability.

Conclusions:

The mild/moderate/severe depressive symptomatology considered as a risk group for depression, represents 45.54% and the associated factors dependent on the mother are: being single or separated mothers, extreme poverty, non-nuclear family, without support from the father of the child, regular relationship or not having a partner, feeling of guilt and being workers/domestic workers. And as a dependent factor of the child with cerebral palsy, it is the severe/moderate severity of the disability that the infant presented.

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