Mothers' Representations of the Neurological Conditions of Early Age in the Structure of Attitudes to the Child's Illness

Abstract

The article compares subjective views of mothers of children with neurological conditions and the objective clinical picture of neurological pathology. Sample: mothers of children aged one to three years (M=25,10±6,50) with diagnoses of "Consequences of Early Organic Central Nervous System Damage" and "Cerebral Palsy" (N=85). The study conducted in the form of a clinical interview. Different types of mothers’ awareness about the etiology, neurological diagnoses, clinical symptoms and outcomes of neurological conditions were revealed. Mothers claim that the child does not have a disease, recognizing the presence of child' developmental features, but the idea of neurological pathology as a disease becomes motivating for the organization of child care and cure. There is a tendency for mothers to underestimate the severity of the child's disease, as well as differences in the subjective assessment of the mother and the clinical assessment (р=0,000). The obtained data can be used by professionals in clinical practice and in the rehabilitation system development for the children, to establish a compliant relationship between parents and specialists.

Keywords

• parents' attitude to the child's disease
• neurological pathology
• early age children
• mothers of children with disabilities
• representations of the disease
• familiarization of the diagnosis.