Impact of Counselling on Parental Stress Levels in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit

Introduction: The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) serves as a critical setting where parents face immense emotional challenges as their children undergo life-threatening medical care. The stress experienced by parents stems from various factors, including the severity of their child’s condition, emotional strain, financial burdens, and disruptions to family dynamics. This cumulative stress significantly impacts parental well-being, making it essential to explore factors contributing to stress and assess interventions like counselling to mitigate its effects. Material and Methods: This observational study, conducted over one year in a tertiary care center in Gujarat, included 170 parents of children aged 1 month to 13 years admitted to the PICU for at least 48 hours. Parental stress levels were assessed using the validated PSS: PICU scale, with pre- and post-counseling evaluations. Structured counselling, delivered using an IEC-based model, included one-on-one and group sessions to address misconceptions and provide peer support. Data analysis, performed using descriptive and inferential statistics, highlighted the effectiveness of counselling in reducing parental stress, ensuring participant confidentiality and ethical compliance. Results: In our study, most patients (50.6%) were under 1 year, with a higher proportion of males (55.8%). Ventilatory support was required by 47.1% of patients, and 53.5% received ionotropes. The majority (62.9%) stayed in the PICU for 4-7 days, with 35.3% having hospital stays of more than 10 days. Parental demographics revealed fathers predominantly aged 30-39 years (43.2%) and mothers aged 20-29 years (76.0%). Socioeconomic status showed 53.5% of parents in the upper-lower SES. Counselling sessions averaged 2.36 ± 1.08, with stress levels highest for “Sight and Sound” (9.68 ± 2.984) and lowest for “Behavior of Professional Staff” (1.77 ± 1.817). Significant stress reduction was observed post-counseling in discharged patients (p = 0.001), but not in those who died (p = 0.468) or others (p = 0.562). Conclusion: Counselling significantly reduces parental stress in the PICU, particularly among discharged patients, highlighting its role in supporting families during critical care. Tailored psychological support is essential for improving parental well-being and resilience.