title: Health-related quality of life and mental health in parents of children with hemolytic uremic syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental health of parents having children with a history of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 63 mothers and 58 fathers of a cohort of 63 HUS-affected children. At assessment, the mean time since a child experienced an acute episode of HUS was 6.4 years. Parental HRQoL, mental health and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were assessed with standardized self-report questionnaires. Medical data were extracted from patients' hospital records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HRQoL and mental health of both the mothers and fathers were not impaired compared to normative data. However, a shorter time since a child's acute HUS episode was a significant predictor of lower HRQoL among the mothers, while no such effect was found among the fathers. Two fathers (3%), but no mothers, met the criteria for a diagnosis of HUS-related full PTSD; one father (2%) and four mothers (6%) met the criteria for a diagnosis of HUS-related partial PTSD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows that most parents of our study sample were doing well in terms of HRQoL and mental health, although a small number met the criteria for full or partial PTSD diagnosis due to their child's HUS. We therefore recommend that healthcare providers pay special attention to parents regarding PTSD symptoms during the clinical follow-up of a HUS-affected child since some parents may benefit from psychological support.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Nephrology Unit, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Buder
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.|Department of Child and Adolescent Health Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14, 8051, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Markus A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Landolt
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Lucerne, Cantonal Hospital of Lucerne, 6000, Lucerne 16, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Nephrology Unit, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Guido F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Laube
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Nephrology Unit, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland. giuseppina.sparta@kispi.uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spartà
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Nephrology; Outcome; Parents; Pediatric; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Psychology