1422 Parent Stress and Coping During Child Hospitalisation: The Stayclose Study

Abstract

Background and aims: Parental participation in children's hospital care is now considered essential for children's psychosocial wellbeing, yet there is surprisingly little research on parental stress and coping. We are conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the parental experience and the perceived impact of hospital facilities/services on parental adjustment. This abstract reports preliminary findings on parent stress and coping and potential influencing factors.

Methods: Parents/carers of children in a tertiary children's hospital were invited to complete validated measures of mood, coping, stress and social support after admission, discharge and 3 months after discharge.

Results: Baseline questionnaires were completed by parents/carers of 28 hospitalised children, aged 0.1-14.0 years,18 of whom completed questionnaires at discharge. Almost two-thirds of parents scored in the borderline/clinical range for anxiety at baseline and discharge. Higher anxiety scores were associated with the use of denial (r=.414; p=.025) and self blame (r=.519; p=.004) and a greater number of previous hospital stays (r=.406; p=.085). The behaviour and appearance of their children was the source of greatest hospital-related stress for parents. Three months after discharge 42% had borderline/clinical levels of anxiety, with baseline anxiety scores significantly correlated with those at discharge and 3 months post-discharge (r>.7, p<.005).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that parents experience substantial stress when their child is hospitalised. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the influence of hospital services and facilities on parental coping. Screening for those at high risk for anxiety and implementing interventions to reduce maladaptive coping strategies may be beneficial.

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