Parental stress in a paediatric intensive care unit in Punjab, India

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine
• Psychology
• Global Health

Background:

• Paediatric intensive care is a rapidly expanding field in India.
• Limited research exists on parental stress in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) within developing countries, where contributing factors may differ significantly from those in developed nations.
• This study aims to identify and describe the specific stressors encountered by Indian parents whose children are admitted to a PICU.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and quantify the levels of stress experienced by parents with children in an Indian paediatric intensive care unit.
• To identify the primary sources of stress for these parents.
• To compare stress factors in the Indian context with those reported in developed countries.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 100 parents was interviewed.
• The Parental Stress Scale (PSS: PICU) was utilized, assessing 22 distinct factors on a 5-point Likert scale (1=not stressful, 5=extremely stressful).

Main Results:

• The average parental stress score was 3.0.
• Key stressors included a child experiencing breathing difficulties, pain, unresponsiveness, or crises involving other children in the PICU.
• Higher stress levels were significantly correlated with illness severity (Paediatric Risk of Mortality score), being a mother, parental age under 30, and having a male child.

Conclusions:

• Parents of children in Indian PICUs experience considerable stress, with unique contributing factors compared to studies from developed countries.
• Mothers and younger parents (<30 years) reported significantly higher stress levels.
• Demographic factors such as family type, income, education, and the number/age of children did not significantly influence stress levels.