Brief Report
Issue Date: January/February 2020
Published Online: October 25, 2019
Updated: April 30, 2020
Changes in Occupational Roles and Common Mental Disorders in Mothers of Children With Congenital Zika Syndrome
Monique Carla da Silva Reis; Aline Carla Araújo Carvalho; Carolina Santos Souza Tavares; Victor Santana Santos; Hudson P. Santos, Jr; Paulo Ricardo Saquete Martins-Filho
Author Affiliations
  • Monique Carla da Silva Reis, Msc, is Occupational Therapist, Investigative Pathology Laboratory, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Brazil, and Occupational Therapist, Alagoas State University of Health Sciences, Maceio, Brazil.
  • Aline Carla Araújo Carvalho, Msc, is Physiotherapist, Investigative Pathology Laboratory, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Brazil, and Physiotherapist, Alagoas State University of Health Sciences, Maceio, Brazil.
  • Carolina Santos Souza Tavares, BN, is Nurse, Investigative Pathology Laboratory, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Brazil.
  • Victor Santana Santos, PhD, is Nurse, Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health, Federal University of Alagoas, Arapiraca, Brazil.
  • Hudson P. Santos, Jr., PhD, is Nurse, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  • Paulo Ricardo Saquete Martins-Filho, PhD, is Epidemiologist, Investigative Pathology Laboratory, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Brazil; martins-filho@ufs.br
Article Information
Mental Health / Pediatric Evaluation and Intervention / Columns: Brief Report
Brief Report   |   October 25, 2019
Changes in Occupational Roles and Common Mental Disorders in Mothers of Children With Congenital Zika Syndrome
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, October 2019, Vol. 74, 7401345010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.035972
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, October 2019, Vol. 74, 7401345010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.035972
Abstract

Importance: The functional limitations and long-term dependence of children with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) may lead to changes in maternal occupational roles, which can have a negative impact on mothers’ well-being and mental health.

Objective: To investigate changes in occupational roles and their effects on the mental health of mothers who have a child with CZS.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Rehabilitation centers of the Brazilian Unified Health System in Alagoas, Northeast Brazil.

Participants: Forty mothers of children with CZS.

Outcomes and Measures: The Role Checklist and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire–20 were used to assess the mothers’ involvement in occupational roles and common mental disorders (CMDs), respectively. The relationship between changes in occupational roles and CMDs was analyzed using a logistic regression model.

Results: Our study showed that loss of paid work (p = .026) is associated with poor mental health of mothers of children with CZS.

Conclusions and Relevance: Strengthening public policies to reduce the economic impact of CZS on families, offering multidisciplinary counseling, and implementing psychoeducational strategies for promoting maternal psychological adjustment are needed.

What This Article Adds: The time and money spent by mothers in daily care activities for children with CZS contribute to a reduction in family income and social well-being and have a negative impact on mothers’ mental health.