Title |
Early psychological reactions in parents of children with a life threatening illness within a pediatric hospital setting
|
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Published in |
European Psychiatry, April 2020
|
DOI | 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2014.12.008 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
F. Muscara, M.C. McCarthy, C. Woolf, S.J.C. Hearps, K. Burke, V.A. Anderson |
Abstract |
Parents of children with life threatening illness or injuries are at elevated risk of distress reactions, involving symptoms of acute stress disorder, depression and anxiety. Currently, the impact of child illness factors is unclear, and to date research systematically examining the prevalence of these psychological reactions across different illness groups with an acute life threat is sparse. This is important to explore given that studies show that parent functioning impacts on the psychological adjustment and recovery of the ill child. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: At four weeks following a child's diagnosis of a serious illness, 49-54% of parents met DSM-IV criteria for acute stress disorder, across a number of illness groups, whereas 15-27% of parents were in the moderate/severe range for depression and anxiety, and 25-31% for stress. Results from this study demonstrate that rates and severity of these psychological reactions in parents of seriously ill children do not vary according to illness type. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Mexico | 1 | <1% |
Spain | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 208 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Bachelor | 33 | 16% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 30 | 14% |
Student > Master | 27 | 13% |
Researcher | 21 | 10% |
Other | 14 | 7% |
Other | 39 | 19% |
Unknown | 46 | 22% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 57 | 27% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 38 | 18% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 31 | 15% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 7 | 3% |
Social Sciences | 7 | 3% |
Other | 13 | 6% |
Unknown | 57 | 27% |