Depression, Anxiety and Stress among the Caregivers of Clubfoot Patients
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Background
Congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV), often known as clubfoot, is a common birth defect of the bones and muscles, especially in places with few resources like South Asia.
Objective
To determine the prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression in parents of children receiving Ponseti treatment for congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV), as well as the sociodemographic correlates of these symptoms.
Materials and methods
From September 2023 to August 2024, a descriptive cross-sectional study was done at the SAIC College of Medical Science and Technology in Dhaka. Eighty-five caregivers filled out a standard questionnaire that included the DASS-21 scale. They also wrote down information on comorbidities, clinical features, and sociodemographics. We used SPSS version 22.0 to do the statistical analysis. Chi-square tests looked at how independent factors were related to psychological distress. We used a significance level of p < 0.05.
Results
50.6% of the 85 people who took part said they were anxious (48.8% said it was very bad), 44.7% said they were depressed (26.3% said it was very bad), and 28.2% said they were stressed (45.8% said it was very bad). There was a strong link between stress and the weight of a newborn (p=0.013), the way the baby was born (p=0.056), the age of the caregiver (p=0.053), and the caregiver’s education (p=0.029). Anxiety was only linked to monthly income (p=0.009). One of the main worries was money, specifically how much it costs for families in remote areas to commute. A lot of kids were in the bracing period and had bilateral clubfoot. Most of the caretakers were stay-at-home moms.
Conclusion
The mental health of the caregivers of CTEV patients is significantly impacted by the clinical and economical difficulties. Integrating psychosocial support and moving services away from central locations may help caregivers deal with stress. Future studies should look at cognitive and sleep issues using random sampling and larger sample sizes to improve treatment methods and make them more generalizable.
