Recovery in parents of children and adolescents who survived septic shock caused by Neisseria meningitidis: a cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess psychological distress, styles of coping and disease-related psychosocial limitations in parents of children and adolescents who survived meningococcal septic shock (MSS) 4-16 years ago.


METHODS
An exploratory design using standardised questionnaires and interviews.


METHODS
The psychological investigation took place in the department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the ErasmusMC-Sophia Children's Hospital.


METHODS
87 mothers and 77 fathers participated in this study. The General Health Questionnaire was used to assess parents' psychological distress; the Utrecht Coping List to assess styles of coping. A semi-structured disease-specific interview served to explore long-term disease-related psychosocial limitations for parents.


RESULTS
MSS parents reported similar psychiatric symptoms and styles of coping in comparison to reference groups. Severity of illness and the child's age at time of illness were not significant predictors of parental psychological distress and styles of coping. The presence of somatic sequelae, cognitive or behavioural and emotional problems was not associated with the levels of parental psychiatric symptoms or styles of coping. The vast majority of parents reported no current disease-related psychosocial limitations due to the MSS.


CONCLUSIONS
Parents of children who survived MSS show recovery. Nevertheless a minority still experiences emotional burden and disease-related limitations.
Vermunt
L C A C
LC
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Buysse
C M P
CM
Joosten
K F M
KF
Hazelzet
J A
JA
Verhulst
F C
FC
Utens
E M W J
EM
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008589:Meningococcal Infections; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000382:microbiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D017741:Survivors