Post-traumatic growth in parents after a child's admission to intensive care: maybe Nietzsche was right?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this prospective study was to establish the degree to which parents report post-traumatic growth after the intensive care treatment of their child.


METHODS
Prospective cross-sectional cohort study.


METHODS
Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).


METHODS
A total of 50 parents of children, admitted to PICU for >12 h.


RESULTS
Parents provided stress ratings as their child was discharged from PICU and, 4 months later, completed postal questionnaires rating their anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth. As much as 44 parents (88%) indicated on the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) [1] that they had experienced a positive change to a great degree as a result of their experiences in PICU. Parents of children who were ventilated (P = 0.024) reported statistically higher post-traumatic growth as did parents of older children (P = 0.032). PTGI scores were positively correlated with post-traumatic stress scores at 4 months (P = 0.021), but on closer inspection this relationship was found to be curvilinear.


CONCLUSIONS
Post-traumatic growth emerged as a salient concept for this population. It was more strongly associated with moderate levels of post-traumatic stress, than high or low levels.
Colville
Gillian
G
Paediatric Psychology Service, St George's Hospital, London, SW17 0QT, UK. gcolvill@sgul.ac.uk
Cream
Penelope
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010290:Parents; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult