Family functioning and strengths in families raising a child with cerebral palsy.
Families raising a child with CP in Greece and Italy report healthy cohesion and high pride—use these strengths when designing caregiver coaching.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Tsibidaki (2020) sent a short survey to parents in Greece and Italy.
Each family had one child with cerebral palsy.
Parents answered questions about how well the family works together and what strengths they share.
What they found
Most parents said their family feels balanced and strong.
Top strengths were pride in the child and agreement on daily choices.
The tone was upbeat, not burned-out.
How this fits with other research
Vlachou et al. (2023) asked Greek parents of kids with extra needs about COVID-19 school help. Those parents felt ignored and powerless. Assimina’s families, surveyed before the pandemic, felt united. The clash shows crisis times can flip the story.
Bentenuto et al. (2021) saw the same flip in Italy: lockdown raised stress and cut therapy, so parents reported strain. Again, normal-day data look rosier than crisis data.
Black et al. (2022) ran a horse-based support group and also heard parents talk about renewed pride. That fits Assimina’s finding that pride is a ready family strength you can tap.
Why it matters
When you meet a new CP family, start by asking what makes them proud. Build caregiver coaching around those strong points instead of only fixing problems. In smooth times, families already feel good; during crises, check stress first and add rapid respite or telehealth so the positive base does not erode.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a serious disorder that has serious consequences on the functioning of children and their families. This study explores family functioning (adaptation, cohesion and family type) and strengths (pride, accord and whole) in Greek and Italian families raising a child with CP and their interaction. Participants were 120 parents of a biological child with CP. Data collection used a self-report questionnaire, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-III) and the Family Strengths Inventory. According to the findings, parents (in both countries) estimate and wish their family to be in the balanced range which represents healthy family functioning according to the revised edition of the Olson Circumplex Model. Finally, they share a high sense of family strengths, which is mainly displayed in the high sense of pride and accord.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103767