title: Paediatric medical trauma: The impact on parents of burn survivors.
abstract: In order to identify parents at risk of developing ongoing psychological distress after their child has sustained a burn a greater understanding of paediatric medical trauma is required.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of exposure to paediatric trauma on parents of children with a burn and to identify risk factors and relationships between psychological distress and resilience.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three parents were recruited. Parents completed standardised assessments measuring symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, stress, and resilience within one week of the burn occurring. Statistical analysis included t-tests, Kruskal-Wallis one way ANOVA and Spearman's Roe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parents experienced significantly more symptoms of PTSD (p=0.001) than a comparative community population. Factors including having a daughter, witnessing the event, feeling helpless or having past traumatic experiences significantly influenced symptoms of psychological distress and resilience (p=0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parents of burn survivors experience significant psychological distress with low levels of resilience. As part of standard routine care health professionals should screen parents to identify those at greatest risk and provide effective evidence based interventions aimed at improving resilience and reducing stress.
authors: Princess Margaret Hospital, Burns Total Care Unit, Australia; School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Australia. sarah.mcgarry@health.wa.gov.au
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: McGarry
authors: Sonya
authors: S
authors: Girdler
authors: Ann
authors: A
authors: McDonald
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Valentine
authors: Fiona
authors: F
authors: Wood
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Elliott
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D002056:Burns / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D014904:Western Australia
keywords: Fathers; Paediatric medical trauma; Parents; Psychological distress; Resilience