Mother's mental health, mother-child relationship, and family functioning 3 months after a preschooler's head injury.
OBJECTIVE
Investigate mothers' mental health, mother-child relationship, and family functioning 3 months after preschool children's head trauma and hospital discharge.


METHODS
Prospective survey.


METHODS
Seven hospitals; families' homes.


METHODS
Eighty mothers of children (ages 3-6) with head trauma.


METHODS
Perceived injury severity, Mental Health Inventory, Parental Stressor Scale taken in pediatric intensive care unit 24 to 48 hours after admission; Mental Health Inventory, Parenting Stress Index, FACES II, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support taken at 3 months postdischarge.


RESULTS
Injury severity had negative effects on mothers' mental health at 3 months after discharge, but not on the mother-child relationship and the family's functioning. Mothers' baseline mental health and ongoing support had positive effects on mother-child relationship and family adaptability.


CONCLUSIONS
Mothers with greater stress and poorer mental health during their child's hospitalization may be at risk for negative mother-child and family outcomes. Interventions that decrease parents' stress during hospitalization and promote ongoing social support after discharge may diminish this risk.
Youngblut
Joanne M
JM
College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA. youngblu@fiu.edu
Brooten
Dorothy
D
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*