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Screening for Factors Influencing Parental Psychological Vulnerability During a Child's PICU Admission

Francesca A Woolgar1, Lucy Wilcoxon1, Nazima Pathan2

  • 1Department of Clinical Psychology, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom.

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine : a Journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies
|January 26, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Many parents whose children were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Pre-existing psychosocial factors, not medical details, strongly predict these risks.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Pediatrics
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admissions present significant psychological stress for parents.
  • Parental mental health post-PICU admission requires further investigation to identify at-risk individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify parents at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or depression after a child's PICU admission.
  • To examine psychosocial, medical, and sociodemographic factors associated with these risks.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional survey of 107 parents of 75 children admitted to a general PICU.
  • Utilized the 10-item Posttraumatic Adjustment Screen (PAS) to assess risk factors and psychological outcomes.
  • Collected data on pretrauma and peritrauma psychosocial variables, acute stress, and sociodemographic factors.

Main Results:

  • 60% of parents were at risk for PTSD, and 75% were at risk for depression.
  • Pre-existing psychosocial variables, including previous mental health issues, were stronger predictors than medical or sociodemographic factors.
  • A history of mental health problems significantly predicted PTSD and depression risk, explaining substantial variance.

Conclusions:

  • A significant proportion of parents experience elevated risk for PTSD and depression following PICU admission.
  • Psychosocial factors occurring before and during the PICU admission are key determinants of parental psychological distress.
  • Early screening using instruments like the PAS can help target support to vulnerable parents.
Abstract

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