The Training and Support Programme (involving basic massage) for parents of children with cerebral palsy: An implementation study

SummaryThe aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the Training and Support Programme (TSP), involving the learning of basic massage skills, among parents caring for children with cerebral palsy. The sample comprised 70 parents and their children (n=67n=67). Data were collected by self-administered questionnaires at baseline (before the TSP) and at 4-month follow-up. A sub-sample of 10 participants were interviewed. Comparisons over time revealed statistically significant improvements in parents’ anxious and depressed moods, stress, self-efficacy and satisfaction with life, and, parental perceptions’ of children's sleeping, mobility and eating. Interviews revealed that parents valued having a new skill, felt calmer, and noted a number of changes in children's well-being and functioning. These changes were more extensive than may be expected from a simple intervention and warrant further systematic investigation.