Zoe C Bedford1, Suzanne Bench1. 1. School of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Having a child admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is a highly stressful experience, and post-traumatic stress among parents is well documented. How best to support these parents is currently unclear. AIM: To review research on interventions to support the psychological well-being of parents after their child's discharge from paediatric intensive care. METHODS: Searches were conducted using Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL and The Cochrane library in January 2017. Study selection was carried out using pre-specified criteria. Following appraisal of methodological quality and risk of bias, data were extracted and analysed using a narrative synthesis. RESULTS: Six quantitative studies met the inclusion criteria. Intervention types included follow-up appointments, telephone calls, educational information and post-admission interviews. Insufficient evidence was found to fully support any intervention in isolation, but findings support a clear trend that some form of follow up is beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: Testing costly interventions is challenging and takes time. In the meantime, a low-cost intervention (such as an information leaflet) to raise awareness of potential problems in staff and to provide a support resource for parents is recommended. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Parents and carers of children admitted to PICU can develop post-traumatic stress symptoms after their child's discharge from PICU. This article addresses how best to support these parents to improve their psychological well-being.
BACKGROUND: Having a child admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is a highly stressful experience, and post-traumatic stress among parents is well documented. How best to support these parents is currently unclear. AIM: To review research on interventions to support the psychological well-being of parents after their child's discharge from paediatric intensive care. METHODS: Searches were conducted using Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL and The Cochrane library in January 2017. Study selection was carried out using pre-specified criteria. Following appraisal of methodological quality and risk of bias, data were extracted and analysed using a narrative synthesis. RESULTS: Six quantitative studies met the inclusion criteria. Intervention types included follow-up appointments, telephone calls, educational information and post-admission interviews. Insufficient evidence was found to fully support any intervention in isolation, but findings support a clear trend that some form of follow up is beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: Testing costly interventions is challenging and takes time. In the meantime, a low-cost intervention (such as an information leaflet) to raise awareness of potential problems in staff and to provide a support resource for parents is recommended. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Parents and carers of children admitted to PICU can develop post-traumatic stress symptoms after their child's discharge from PICU. This article addresses how best to support these parents to improve their psychological well-being.
Authors: Erica Neri; Federica Genova; Marcello Stella; Alessandra Provera; Augusto Biasini; Francesca Agostini Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-07-22 Impact factor: 4.614