Pediatric Intensive Care-Associated Parental Traumatic Stressors by Parent Report: Beyond the First Year

Prospective longitudinal mixed methods cohort study of parents' recollection of stress-invoking events during their child's pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. Respectively, 234, 190, and 71 parents of 188 children were assessed at PICU discharge, 3 to 9 months, and 18 to 30 months postdischarge, with substantial attrition observed at the final follow-up timepoint. Parental responses were analyzed using content analysis methodology and consensus coding. Scores of parental posttraumatic stress disorder/symptoms (PTSD/PTSS) and acute stress disorder measures were analyzed and compared to frequencies of each descriptive theme. Parents who responded within the theme "Sensing immediate need for additional care for my child" were more likely to meet criteria for PTSD qualification at 3 to 9 months (P = .02). At 3 to 9 months and 18 to 30 months, parents who reported no stressors related to the PICU stay were less likely to meet PTSS score qualification (P < .05). Parents experience significant stress during and following their child's PICU stay, with many stressors remaining consistent for up to 30 months; findings at T3 should be interpreted cautiously because of marked participant attrition.