title: Trauma reactions in mothers and fathers after their infant's cardiac surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence and nature of trauma symptoms in mothers and fathers of infants who had cardiac surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents of infants who underwent cardiac surgery before 3 months of age were recruited at the time of surgery. 77 mothers and 55 fathers completed the Acute Stress Disorder Scale 1 month after their infant was discharged from hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  26 of 77 (33.8%) mothers and 10 of 55 (18.2%) fathers satisfied criteria for acute stress disorder. For all symptom clusters, except dissociation, mothers had significantly higher mean scores (and therefore higher levels of symptoms) than did fathers, ps = .01, -.02. 83 percent of parents endorsed at least 1 trauma symptom and 11.4% endorsed only 1 symptom at a clinical level. Symptoms of dissociation were the most commonly endorsed by both parents, with each symptom in that cluster being endorsed at a clinical level by at least 26% of parents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consistent with our hypotheses, approximately one-third of parents overall, as well as one-third of mothers and close to one-fifth of fathers, experienced trauma symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of acute stress disorder. Most parents experienced at least one symptom at a clinical level, with symptoms of dissociation being the most commonly endorsed symptom cluster. These findings highlight the need for clinical supports for parents.
authors.affiliation: Critical Care and Neurosciences, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute. candice.franichray@rch.org.au
authors.forename: Candice
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franich-Ray
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bright
authors.forename: Vicki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Northam
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cochrane
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Menahem
authors.forename: Brigid
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jordan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D040701:Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adjustment; cardiology; children; parent stress; posttraumatic stress