Parenting Stress and Parental Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Families After Pediatric Heart Transplantation

• Published in: The Journal of heart and lung transplantation Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 120 - 126
• Main Authors: Farley, Lisa M., PhD, DeMaso, David R., MD, D’Angelo, Eugene, PhD, Kinnamon, Carolyn, BA, Bastardi, Heather, RN, cPNP, Hill, Clara E., PhD, Blume, Elizabeth D., MD, Logan, Deirdre E., PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-02-2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Family Health; Female; Heart Transplantation; Humans; Infant; Male; Medical sciences; Parents - psychology; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Severity of Illness Index; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the heart; Human; Heart; Pediatrics; Posttraumatic syndrome; Respiratory disease; Family study; Parent; Anxiety disorder; Cardiovascular disease; Transplantation; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Homotransplantation; Stress; Treatment; Surgery; Family environment; Graft; Child
• ISSN: 1053-2498; 1557-3117
• DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2006.11.013

Background There has been little research on the stress experienced by parents of children who have undergone heart transplantation. Methods Parents of 52 consecutive pediatric heart transplant recipients completed questionnaires assessing illness-related parenting stress and post-traumatic stress symptoms at a routine clinic visit. Medical charts were reviewed retrospectively to gather peri- and post-operative information. Results The average age of patients at transplant was 12 years (range 1 to 18 years), and participation occurred 3 months to 10 years post-transplant (median 2.5 years). Nearly 40% of parents indicated moderately severe to severe post-traumatic stress symptoms. Ten of the 52 participating parents met DSM-IV-TR clinical diagnostic criteria for current post-traumatic stress disorder. Parents also identified significant levels of illness-related parenting stress in the areas of communication around the child’s illness, emotional distress, managing the child’s medical care, and balancing role functions. Conclusions Illness-related parenting stress and post-traumatic stress symptoms are significant concerns among parents of pediatric heart transplant patients. Parents’ psychologic functioning post-transplant should be routinely assessed and addressed by transplant teams.