Stress and Resilience in Parents of Children With Chronic Health Conditions: Adapting an Existing Model to Guide...

Background and Purpose: Many parents of children with chronic health conditions (CHCs) experience condition-related and everyday stress as well as intermittent stress during their children's repeated hospitalizations. As a result, they are at risk of high cumulative stress exposure and poor health outcomes. Knowledge of the contribution of intermittent hospitalization-related stressors to cumulative stress exposure in these parents is limited. We reviewed the literature to determine whether the Parent Stress and Resilience in Congenital Heart Disease (PSRCHD) model could be applied to parents of children of all ages with a variety of CHCs and whether hospitalization-specific stressors could be integrated into the model. Methods: Peer-reviewed primary studies and review articles written in English between 2015 and 2025 that described parents' stress from their children's hospitalizations and other sources in the PSRCHD model were identified through repeated literature searches. Articles were reviewed using deductive methods based on concepts in the PSRCHD model. Results: The original model structure, including stressors, stress responses, mediators, and outcomes, appears to fit the broader population. New concepts were identified to fill in potential gaps. Implications for Practice: The adapted model provides a structure for understanding the impact of cumulative stress on parents of children with CHCs. Research guided by the model could facilitate the development of interventions to support parents of children with CHCs, particularly during hospitalizations.