Page 47 - Petelin, Ana. 2020. Ed. Zdravje delovno aktivne populacije / Health of the Working-Age Population. Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 47
n parents describe the shortage of healthcare providers as a potential risk health problems experienced by parents of children in long-term hospital stay 45
for patient safety.
Parental stress
All three studies A1, A3 and A5 reported high prevalence of parent’s stress dis-
order. A1 states that mothers felt greater stress and presented a higher severi-
ty of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to fathers, especially if
they had previous miscarriages or chronic diseases. Accounting for the fathers,
the Apgar test after birth and partner’s PTSD were related to PTSD. Similar-
ly, findings of A5 study indicate that psychosocial factors, such as prior trau-
ma, history of mental issues, trait anxiety and parent perception of life threat to
their child, were consistently associated with parental acute and posttraumatic
stress symptomatology. A study based on this theme carried out by Board and
Ryan-Wenger (2002) adds that one of the most significant stressors for parents
was the alteration in parental role. Interestingly, although the threat or sali-
ence of death may appear critical in the development of traumatic stress disor-
ders in parents, many studies reported no association between objective med-
ical characteristics (such as length of hospital stay, severity of illness, length of
ventilatory support, and risk of mortality) and traumatic stress symptomatol-
ogy in parents.
Study A1 reported that the differences in stress coping strategies among
mothers and fathers are gender-related. Women used the following strategies
more often than men: seeking emotional social support, religious coping, fo-
cusing on and venting emotions, positive reinterpretation, and growth (ac-
tive coping) and acceptance (avoiding behaviour). Inside the group of parents
mourning for their baby, women frequently coped with stress by focusing on
emotions than the men. A study held by Tehrani et al, (2012) enhances that a
higher level of family stress can reduce the ability of the mother to cope with
problems. The occurrence of PTSD symptoms depends not so much upon the
stressor but on how one copes with stress. Therefore, according to A3, main-
taining family integration/strength and optimistic outlook for the situation
was perceived as being the most helpful coping strategies. Tehrani et al. (2012)
highlights the importance of understanding the differences related to stress-
ors perception among nurses and parents, throughout a child’s hospital stay.
If not managed properly, strategies that aim at reducing parental stress may
not be effective. Therefore, special attention should be given to identify the
stressors in nursing care, planning and parents’ education, moving stress-
ors and treatment in the same direction, and identify factors that can reduce
the mother’s ability to provide childcare and delay in treatment progress. Al-
so, information provision about a child’s diagnosis was reported as a protec-
tive coping mechanism for parents and found to be associated with feelings
of empowerment.
for patient safety.
Parental stress
All three studies A1, A3 and A5 reported high prevalence of parent’s stress dis-
order. A1 states that mothers felt greater stress and presented a higher severi-
ty of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to fathers, especially if
they had previous miscarriages or chronic diseases. Accounting for the fathers,
the Apgar test after birth and partner’s PTSD were related to PTSD. Similar-
ly, findings of A5 study indicate that psychosocial factors, such as prior trau-
ma, history of mental issues, trait anxiety and parent perception of life threat to
their child, were consistently associated with parental acute and posttraumatic
stress symptomatology. A study based on this theme carried out by Board and
Ryan-Wenger (2002) adds that one of the most significant stressors for parents
was the alteration in parental role. Interestingly, although the threat or sali-
ence of death may appear critical in the development of traumatic stress disor-
ders in parents, many studies reported no association between objective med-
ical characteristics (such as length of hospital stay, severity of illness, length of
ventilatory support, and risk of mortality) and traumatic stress symptomatol-
ogy in parents.
Study A1 reported that the differences in stress coping strategies among
mothers and fathers are gender-related. Women used the following strategies
more often than men: seeking emotional social support, religious coping, fo-
cusing on and venting emotions, positive reinterpretation, and growth (ac-
tive coping) and acceptance (avoiding behaviour). Inside the group of parents
mourning for their baby, women frequently coped with stress by focusing on
emotions than the men. A study held by Tehrani et al, (2012) enhances that a
higher level of family stress can reduce the ability of the mother to cope with
problems. The occurrence of PTSD symptoms depends not so much upon the
stressor but on how one copes with stress. Therefore, according to A3, main-
taining family integration/strength and optimistic outlook for the situation
was perceived as being the most helpful coping strategies. Tehrani et al. (2012)
highlights the importance of understanding the differences related to stress-
ors perception among nurses and parents, throughout a child’s hospital stay.
If not managed properly, strategies that aim at reducing parental stress may
not be effective. Therefore, special attention should be given to identify the
stressors in nursing care, planning and parents’ education, moving stress-
ors and treatment in the same direction, and identify factors that can reduce
the mother’s ability to provide childcare and delay in treatment progress. Al-
so, information provision about a child’s diagnosis was reported as a protec-
tive coping mechanism for parents and found to be associated with feelings
of empowerment.
