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.