PTSD in parents of children with severe diseases: a systematic review to face Covid-19 impact

Abstract

Context The literature agrees on the impact of post-traumatic stress symptoms in parents of seriously ill children but there is less clarity about the real extent and gender differences of this psychopathological risk. The recent Covid-19 outbreak highlighted new burdens for researchers on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and clear evidence-based knowledge on this issue is timely needed. Objective In this review, we present a synthesis of the updated evidence on PTSD rates in parents of children with severe diseases. We also aim to try to understand if research in this field has been refined over time with the long-term intent to better face the new challenges of Covid-19 in the paediatric field. Data sources The PubMed database was searched. Study selection Studies were included if they assessed PTSD in parents of children diagnosed with physical illnesses. Data extraction Of 240 studies, 4 were included. Results Analysis of the 4 studies revealed 2 studies with PTSD rates around 20% and in line with previous best-evidence. All 4 studies tried to provide more data on fathers, however, all the studies present the lack of a control group. Limitations The limited number of studies, which also differ widely in the methodology used. Conclusions Methodological errors evidenced in all the 4 studies limit their reliability, making the understanding of the paediatric caregiver’s concern regarding PTSD still difficult. More sound research is needed.

Relationship between parental stress and post‐traumatic stress disorder: The moderating effect of visitation restrictions in paediatric intensive care units during COVID‐19

“…First, mothers had higher PTSD symptom scores than fathers did. This is in line with previous studies showing that mothers tend to have higher rates of PTSD 8,24 . In particular, in Korea, mothers' responsibility and participation in childrearing is higher than fathers.…”

“…This is in line with previous studies showing that mothers tend to have higher rates of PTSD. 8,24 In particular, in Korea, mothers' responsibility and participation in childrearing is higher than fathers. This result shows that mothers 25 are a group more vulnerable to developing PTSD and, therefore, assessment and intervention should be emphasized for them.…”

Social and environmental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children

“…Although COVID-19 in children is mostly asymptomatic orshows milder symptoms than those typically seen in adults, the mere suspicion of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children can be a destabilizing event for a parent. 20 …”

P.0196 Post-traumatic stress symptoms among parents of children with covid-19 suspected infection in the acute phase of covid-19 pandemic in Italy

“…A severe illness in one's child is acknowledged to be a destabilizing event, having a negative impact on parent psychological wellbeing with an increased risk of negative mental health consequences, among which PTSS throughout the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) [ 2 , 3 ]. Consistently with this evidence, parents who interfaced with suspected COVID-19 infection in their children, particularly in the early acute phase of the pandemic, may have resulted a challenging population at risk for negative psychological consequences [4] . However, scant data explored this issue.…”