Among the variables affected by the presence of a disabled child in the family is the internal stigma that can cause or intensify depression in the mother of a cerebral palsy child. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between depression and internal stigma in mothers of children with cerebral palsy. This study was cross-sectional descriptive research that was conducted on 185 mothers of children with cerebral palsy. A demographic profile form, Beck depression questionnaire, and internal stigma questionnaire of mothers with mentally retarded children were used to collect data. All data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 software, descriptive statistics, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The average score of internal stigma and depression in mothers of children with cerebral palsy was 83.33 out of 196 and 17.59 out of 63, respectively. High levels of depression were reported in 21.6% of mothers. Also, a direct and significant relationship was found between internal stigma and depression of mothers of children with cerebral palsy (P < 0.001, r = 0.47). From the results of the present study, it can be concluded that the internal stigma caused by having a child with cerebral palsy can be related to mothers' depression. Knowing as much as possible by health officials and policymakers about this relationship can show the importance of applying scientific and practical measures in the field of changing people's attitudes in this field and as a result reducing the internal stigma of mothers of children with cerebral palsy.
