Related Experiment Videos
Cognitive/affective factors are associated with children's acute posttraumatic stress following pediatric intensive
Belinda L Dow1, Justin A Kenardy1, Deborah A Long2
1Centre of National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation Medicine (CONROD), The University of Queensland.
Insights
Children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Intensive Care
- Child Psychology
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admissions can lead to significant psychological distress in children.
- Understanding factors contributing to posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore children's experiences and memories of PICU admissions.
- To identify key variables associated with acute PTSS in children post-PICU.
- To determine the relative importance of premorbid, trauma, and cognitive/affective factors.
Main Methods:
- 95 children (aged 6-16) and their parents participated.
- Children completed questionnaires and interviews assessing PTSS, peritrauma affect, and memory 3 weeks post-discharge.
- Medical data and premorbid/demographic information were collected.
Main Results:
- Younger age, traumatic injury admission, and cognitive/affective factors (confusion, panic, memory quality) were linked to acute PTSS.
- Cognitive/affective variables significantly increased the explained variance of PTSS.
- Objective disease severity did not fully explain PTSS prevalence.
Conclusions:
- Subjective cognitive factors and memory processing are critical in the development of PTSS after PICU.
- Interventions should consider children's subjective experiences and cognitive processing of traumatic events.
- Childhood trauma and memory significantly impact PTSS development.
Abstract:
This study aimed to explore children's experiences and memories of the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and identify the relative importance of premorbid, trauma, and cognitive/affective variables associated with acute posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Participants were 95 children aged 6-16 years admitted to the PICU and their parents. Children completed questionnaires and an interview assessing PTSS, peritrauma affect, and their memory of the admission 3 weeks following discharge. Medical data were extracted from patient charts. Premorbid and demographic data were provided by parent questionnaire. Most children remembered some aspects of their admission. Younger age, admission for traumatic injury (rather than non-injury-related reasons), and cognitive/affective factors including confusion, peritrauma panic, and sensory memory quality were associated with acute PTSS. Age and traumatic injury accounted for 18% of the variance in PTSS (p < .01). The addition of cognitive/affective variables increased the explained variance to 38% (p < .001). Child age did not moderate the effect of cognitive/affective variables on PTSS. This study demonstrates that objective indicators of disease severity do not adequately explain the high prevalence of PTSS in children following PICU admission. It also suggests that subjective, cognitive factors such as the way children process and remember a PICU admission are very important in the onset of PTSS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).