Parents of children with cerebral palsy in Nordland (county in the north of Norway); factors connected to their quality of life and coping of the circumstances around the handicapped child.

Assessment of quality of life in parents of children with cerebral palsy. Nearly all parents of a group of children in the county of Nordland, Norway, were interviewed. We found their quality of life primarily related to the spouses satisfaction with each other, the degree of mutual openness and the partners (spouses) well-being. To a lesser degree quality of life was related to amount of care and worry for the handicapped child, or to "material factors". These findings should be taken even more into consideration when plans for habilitation are made. Giving parents better possibilities to have good, relating time together, and to give all important information about the handicapped child to them simultaneously seems important in addition to the training and treatment the child receives.