Effectiveness of Integrated Training Program on Knowledge, Parental Distress, and Coping Patterns among Mothers of Post-Operative Brain Tumor Children

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, Cairo-Egypt

Abstract

Background: Mothers of children with post-operative brain tumors may experience considerable suffering and challenges in coping, compounded by a lack of understanding regarding the disease, therapy, and their coping strategies, which adversely affect their well-being and caregiving abilities. Aim: examine the effectiveness of an integrated training program on knowledge, parental distress, and coping patterns among mothers of post-operative brain tumor children. Design: Quasi-experimental (non-equivalent control group design). Subjects: A purposive sample of 40 mothers of children with brain tumors postoperatively was recruited from a pediatric neurosurgical department at Cairo University Specialized Pediatric Hospital, equally divided into study and control groups. Tools for data collection were a structured interview questionnaire, a structured questionnaire for mothers' knowledge regarding brain tumor and postoperative care of children with brain tumor, a parental distress scale, and a coping strategies scale. Result: highly statistically significant differences of both groups concerning mothers’ knowledge, parental distress level, and coping strategies patterns mean scores before, after, and follow-up of the integrated educational program. Conclusion: Providing an integrated educational program for mothers of post-operative brain tumor children can effectively raise their knowledge, enhance their coping patterns, and reduce parental distress, which positively affects their children's physical and emotional well-being. Recommendation: the integration of the designed training program for mothers of brain tumor children in the pediatric neurosurgical unit to raise mothers' knowledge, enhance their coping patterns, and reduce parental stress.

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