The kind of repetitive thoughts that mothers of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) tend to have are linked to not only their own mental well-being, but to how well their sons can move, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing.
The researchers distinguished between two kinds of repetitive thinking. One is brooding — worrying about the same problems over and over. The other is positive rumination — mentally replaying happy moments such as a child’s smile or a moment of normal play.
The study included 41 boys with DMD, ages 6 to 17, and their mothers, ages 24 to 43, all in Turkey. Mothers filled out surveys about their thoughts and feelings, and the boys were tested on how well they could move and keep their balance.
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Mothers who brooded more tended to feel less happy and healthy, whereas mothers who focused more on good moments felt better overall.
The study found a link between a boy’s abilities and his mother’s outlook. When a boy could move and balance well, his mother was more likely to focus on happy thoughts. The researchers said this could work in two ways: a stronger child gives more good moments to notice, and a hopeful mother may keep her son going to therapy.
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The researchers were careful to say that this study only shows that these things are connected, but doesn’t prove that one thing causes another.
The study also showed that mothers who had cared for their child for many years, or who had more than one child with a disability, tended to have more negative thoughts. Over time, the researchers explained, tiredness and worry can push a mother towards more pessimistic thinking instead of problem-solving.
“Taken together, these results emphasize the importance of addressing the mental health of caregivers in long-term and high-burden care situations,” the researchers concluded.
