Depressive Symptoms in Parents of Children with Spina Bifida: A Review of the Literature.

To review the literature on the prevalence of depressive symptoms in parents of children with spina bifida (SB) and factors related to these symptoms. A search was conducted using the major health databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO). Nineteen studies were identified that met inclusion and exclusion criteria. A context, process, and outcome framework was used to organize the findings. This review identified both: (a) a high prevalence of parental depressive symptoms (PDS); and (b) specific factors: demographics, condition, child, family functioning, and parent factors that explained 32-67% of parent depressive symptoms (PDS). Although contextual factors were important, they alone were not sufficient to explain PDS. Process factors accounted for more variance in PDS than context factors. Findings warrant implementation of depression screening in parents of children with spina bifida. This review identified factors related to PDS and highlighted gaps in the literature to guide future research.