(650) Parent Stressors and Coping Strategies During a Child’s PICU Admission

Introduction: Parents experience multiple stressors during a child’s pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. Despite an improved understanding of these stressors, little research has focused on parent coping strategies. Our objective was to gain a deeper understanding of parental stressors and coping strategies during a child’s PICU stay.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with parents (i.e. biological or other family caregiver) after their child’s discharge from a PICU. Parents were recruited if they had participated in a prior quantitative study of parent resiliency and growth after a child’s PICU admission. Interviews were conducted by an experienced interviewer by phone. The interview guide focused on stressors and coping during a child’s PICU admission. Interviews were transcribed and imported into a qualitative software program. Analysis involved an iterative process of identifying themes/sub-themes with supporting quotes using conventional qualitative content analysis.

Results: Eighteen parents of 18 children were interviewed. Fifty percent of parents were 25-35 years old and 94% were female. Median hospital stay for their children was 8.5 days (IQR 5.3-15.5 days). For stressors, four main themes were identified: (1) family logistics, work and financial and legal concerns; (2) poor communication with health professionals; (3) the PICU’s physical environment; and (4) the child’s illness including uncertainty in diagnosis and treatment course. For coping, four main themes were identified: (1) social, peer and spiritual support; (2) high-quality communication with health professionals; (3) hospital amenities and accommodations; and (4) adaptive behaviors such as taking breaks, distraction, and talking with others.

Conclusions: This research suggested stressors and coping strategies that can be used to inform future interventions to enhance parents’ coping during a child’s PICU admission. Future qualitative research is needed to better understand the needs of parents in more diverse patient populations.