Ajustamento psicológico de pais de filhos com Paralisia Cerebral: um modelo explicativo

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition characterized by motor and functional limitations, often associated with comorbidities, which require continuous care throughout the life span. Evidence indicates that parents of children with CP present poorer indicators of psychological adjustment such as higher levels of stress, greater depressive symptomatology, and lower psychological well-being when compared to parents of children without disabilities. However, there is wide variability in the adaptive process, which may be explained by adaptive psychological mechanisms, such as parental self-efficacy and parental psychological flexibility. An integrated understanding of these processes is fundamental to support the development of more effective, targeted interventions aimed at promoting greater adaptability to the demands of parenting in the context of CP. Accordingly, the present thesis sought to test a theoretical explanatory model of the psychological adjustment of parents of children with CP. Specifically, the thesis aimed to: (a) review the scientific literature on the psychological adjustment of parents of children with CP from a Health Psychology perspective; (b) conduct a scoping review of mental health outcomes among parents of children with CP, identifying the occurrence of Common Mental Disorders and associated factors; (c) adapt psychological instruments to the Brazilian context and gather validity evidence for tools aimed at assessing processes relevant to parental adjustment; and (d) evaluate an explanatory model of the psychological adjustment process of these parents. This thesis contributes to the theoretical, methodological, and applied advancement of Health Psychology by providing empirical evidence, adapted instruments, and support for more contextualized clinical and psychosocial interventions aligned with the real-life demands of families of children with CP.