Suffering in children: opinions from parents and health-care professionals

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine
• Medical Ethics
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Alleviating suffering is a key goal of medical interventions.
• Limited understanding exists regarding the nature of suffering in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients.
• Critical illness in children presents unique challenges to patient and family well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and compare the perceptions of suffering in critically ill children among parents, physicians, and nurses.
• To identify commonalities and differences in how these groups define and experience suffering within the PICU environment.
• To inform healthcare practices and improve the holistic care of children in PICUs.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of interviews with 124 participants (parents, physicians, PICU nurses).
• Data collected from participants caring for 29 children admitted to a 20-bed level-III PICU.
• Exploration of participants' views on physical and existential suffering in critically ill children.

Main Results:

• Most participants distinguished between physical and existential suffering.
• Parents viewed suffering as discomfort linked to visible signs; nurses focused on the child's comfort.
• Physicians associated suffering with treatment intensity, impact, and prognosis; parents experienced suffering due to their child's condition and PICU admission.

Conclusions:

• Perceptions of suffering among parents, physicians, and nurses in the PICU overlap but exhibit significant differences.
• These divergent views are influenced by the nature of responsibility (parental versus professional).
• Parents experience considerable suffering stemming from their child's illness, suffering, and hospitalization, necessitating healthcare professional awareness.