TY - JOUR
T1 - Complicated Grief, Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Bereaved Parents following their Child’s Death in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
T2 - A Follow-Up Study
AU - for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network (CPCCRN)
AU - Suttle, Markita
AU - Hall, Mark W.
AU - Pollack, Murray M.
AU - Berg, Robert A.
AU - McQuillen, Patrick S.
AU - Mourani, Peter M.
AU - Sapru, Anil
AU - Carcillo, Joseph A.
AU - Startup, Emily
AU - Holubkov, Richard
AU - Dean, J. Michael
AU - Notterman, Daniel A.
AU - Meert, Kathleen L.
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Supported by cooperative agreements from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: UG1HD083170, UG1HD049981, UG1HD63108, UG1HD083166, UG1HD083171, UG1HD049983, U01HD049934, UG1HD050096.
Funding Information:
We thank Whit Coleman, MSRA, BSN, RN, CCRC, University of Utah; Stephanie Dorton, BSN, RN, CCRP, University of Utah; Nael Abdelsamad, MD, University of Utah; Kylee Arbogast, BS, RN, University of Utah; Kristi Flick, BS, MPH, University of Utah; Ann Pawluszka, BSN, RN, Children?s Hospital of Michigan; Melanie Lulic, BS, Children?s Hospital of Michigan; Carolann Twelves, RN, BSN, CCRC, Children?s Hospital of Philadelphia; Mary Ann DiLiberto, BS, RN, CCRC, Children?s Hospital of Philadelphia; Elyse Tomanio, BSN, RN, Children?s National Medical Center; Katherine Stone, Children?s National Medical Center; Kathryn Malone, Children?s Hospital Colorado; Diane Ladell, MPH, CCRC, Children?s Hospital Colorado; Ruth Grosskreuz, MD, CCRC, Children?s Hospital Colorado; Lisa Steele, RN, BSN, CCRC, CCRN, Nationwide Children?s Hospital; Maggie Flowers, BSN, Nationwide Children?s Hospital; Anna Ratiu, MPH, University of California, Los Angeles; Tanaya Deshmukh, MS, University of California, Los Angeles; Anne McKenzie, BSN, CCRN, University of California, San Francisco; Yensy Zetino, University of California, San Francisco; and Leighann Koch, BS, BSN, RN, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Supported by cooperative agreements from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: UG1HD083170, UG1HD049981, UG1HD63108, UG1HD083166, UG1HD083171, UG1HD049983, U01HD049934, UG1HD050096.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
PY - 2022/2
Y1 - 2022/2
N2 - Background: Parents often suffer reduced mental health after their child’s death; however, the trajectory and risk factors are not well described. Objective: Describe the change in complicated grief, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms among parents between 6 and 13 months after their child’s death in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and factors associated with 13-month symptoms. Methods: Parents whose children died in 1 of 8 PICUs affiliated with the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network completed surveys 6 and 13 months after their child’s death. Surveys included the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) for depression, and the Short Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview (SPRINT). Parents provided sociodemographics. Charts were reviewed for child characteristics. Results: One-hundred and fifty seven parents of 104 deceased children completed surveys at both time points. Mental health symptoms declined over time (mean (SD)): ICG (33.8 (15.4) vs. 30.5 (15.2), p < 0.001), PHQ-8 (9.0 (6.4) vs. 7.3 (5.8), p < 0.001), and SPRINT (14.1 (8.3) vs. 12.0 (8.2), p < 0.001). After controlling for 6-month scores, higher 13-month ICG was independently associated with sudden unexpected death; higher PHQ-8 with Black race, insecure attachment style, and sudden unexpected death; and higher SPRINT with having a high school level of education (compared to college degree or higher). Conclusion: Mental health symptoms improve among parents during the first 13 months after their child’s death; however, symptoms persist for many. Black parents and those whose children die suddenly may be high risk for poor adjustment during bereavement.
AB - Background: Parents often suffer reduced mental health after their child’s death; however, the trajectory and risk factors are not well described. Objective: Describe the change in complicated grief, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms among parents between 6 and 13 months after their child’s death in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and factors associated with 13-month symptoms. Methods: Parents whose children died in 1 of 8 PICUs affiliated with the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network completed surveys 6 and 13 months after their child’s death. Surveys included the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) for depression, and the Short Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview (SPRINT). Parents provided sociodemographics. Charts were reviewed for child characteristics. Results: One-hundred and fifty seven parents of 104 deceased children completed surveys at both time points. Mental health symptoms declined over time (mean (SD)): ICG (33.8 (15.4) vs. 30.5 (15.2), p < 0.001), PHQ-8 (9.0 (6.4) vs. 7.3 (5.8), p < 0.001), and SPRINT (14.1 (8.3) vs. 12.0 (8.2), p < 0.001). After controlling for 6-month scores, higher 13-month ICG was independently associated with sudden unexpected death; higher PHQ-8 with Black race, insecure attachment style, and sudden unexpected death; and higher SPRINT with having a high school level of education (compared to college degree or higher). Conclusion: Mental health symptoms improve among parents during the first 13 months after their child’s death; however, symptoms persist for many. Black parents and those whose children die suddenly may be high risk for poor adjustment during bereavement.
KW - bereavement
KW - child
KW - complicated grief
KW - death
KW - depression
KW - infant
KW - parent
KW - post-traumatic stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105887417&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/10499091211015913
DO - 10.1177/10499091211015913
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85105887417
VL - 39
SP - 228
EP - 236
JO - American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
JF - American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
SN - 1049-9091
IS - 2
ER -