Predictors of Post-traumatic stress symptomology in parents of infants with Congenital Heart Disease post-surgery and after four months.
Nadya Golfenshtein, Amy Jo Lisanti, Naixue Cui and 1 others
PMID 34839196WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of infants with complex heart defects face rising post-traumatic stress after surgery, with PTSD rates jumping from 9% at discharge to 14% at four months.
High parenting stress, specifically feelings of inadequacy and poor coping, strongly predicted these symptoms.
Key findings
01PTSD diagnosis rates increased from 9% at hospital discharge to 14% at four-month follow-up.
02Parenting stress, particularly the Parent Domain reflecting feelings of competence and role alteration, was a consistent positive predictor of post-traumatic stress symptoms at both time points.
03Illness severity indicators like tube-assisted feeding and emergency department visits were associated with higher symptom scores, but psychosocial factors explained a significant portion of the variance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was a secondary analysis of a randomized trial, which limited the ability to select specific variables or measures tailored to this question. The sample was relatively homogeneous, with 97% of participants being mothers, so findings may not generalize to fathers. The sample was predominantly non-Hispanic white and higher socioeconomic status, limiting generalizability to other populations. The study design cannot establish causality, only associations.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that medical severity alone predicts parental distress. While illness indicators like feeding tubes and emergency visits were associated with symptoms, parenting stress was a stronger and more consistent predictor. Focusing only on the infant's clinical status may miss parents at high risk for post-traumatic stress.