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Patterns of post-traumatic stress symptoms in families after paediatric intensive care

Gillian Colville1, Christine Pierce

  • 1Paediatric Psychology Service, St George's Hospital, 2nd Floor Clare House, London, SW17 0QT, UK. gcolvill@sgul.ac.uk

Intensive Care Medicine
|June 19, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Nearly half of child-parent pairs experience significant post-traumatic stress symptoms 12 months after hospital discharge. Distress is linked more to subjective factors and delayed reactions, highlighting the need for ongoing family support.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychology
  • Trauma Studies
  • Child Psychiatry

Background:

  • Pediatric hospital admissions can be traumatic for children and their families.
  • Understanding the long-term psychological impact is crucial for effective care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the longitudinal rates of post-traumatic stress in child-parent pairs after hospital discharge.
  • To identify factors associated with poorer psychological outcomes in this cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective longitudinal cohort study involving 66 child-parent pairs (children aged 7-17).
  • Screening at 3 and 12 months post-discharge using the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-8) and SPAN.
  • Assessment of child-parent pair distress and associated factors.

Main Results:

  • 44% of child-parent pairs had at least one member scoring above the cut-off for post-traumatic stress at 12 months post-discharge.
  • Symptoms persisted or increased over time for a significant proportion of parents and children.
  • Factors like non-elective admission, higher initial anxiety, and higher PIM scores were associated with increased distress.

Conclusions:

  • Nearly half of families experience significant post-traumatic stress symptoms a year after discharge.
  • Distress is influenced more by subjective experiences than objective factors.
  • Delayed reactions are common, necessitating extended monitoring and support for affected families.
Abstract

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