Child and family reactions during and after pediatric ICU hospitalization: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe child behaviors and level of family functioning after discharge from the pediatric ICU (PICU) and to begin to explore the relationship of family reactions and the child's severity of illness to child and family outcomes after discharge.


METHODS
Exploratory, repeated measures: Time 1 (T1) at 24 hours after admission; Time 2 (T2) at 2 to 4 weeks after hospital discharge.


METHODS
Nine mothers and fathers of children who were 5 years of age or younger, hospitalized in a PICU for at least 1 day, expected to survive.


METHODS
Parental Concern Scale and Parental Stressor Scale: PICU at T1; Posthospitalization Behavior Questionnaire at T2; Feetham Family Functioning Survey and FACES III, at both T1 and T2; and Pediatric Risk of Mortality to measure illness severity.


RESULTS
Mothers' cohesion scores decreased significantly from T1 to T2. Scores from the Pediatric Risk of Mortality were not related to family measures. Mothers' family cohesion and satisfaction with family after discharge were negatively related to time the child was intubated. Few family measures were related to the Parental Concern Scale and Parental Stressor Scale: PICU subscales.


CONCLUSIONS
PICU admission of a child is a stressful event for parents, independent of the child's illness severity. Mothers' perceptions of family may be negatively affected.
Youngblut
J M
JM
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4904.
Shiao
S Y
SY
D000328:Adult; D002652:Child Behavior; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires