Post-traumatic stress trajectories of children and their parents over the year following intensive care discharge: A secondary analysis

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prevalence and Population-Level Factors Contributing to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Pediatric Intensive Care Survivors

OBJECTIVES

In survivors of illnesses or surgeries requiring PICU admission, there is a risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We aimed to estimate PTSD prevalence and potential contributing factors in survivors of PICU admission.

DATA SOURCES

We performed a PROSPERO registered systematic review (CRD42022348997; Registered August 2022) using MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases, 2000 to 2022, with no language restrictions.

STUDY SELECTION

Observational or interventional studies evaluating the incidence or prevalence of PTSD in patients' after PICU admission and/or contributing factors to PTSD. We used studies describing patients younger than 18 years old. Since there were a large number of citations, we used an integrated crowdsourcing and machine-learning model for citation screening. Each citation was reviewed independently and in duplicate by two reviewers at each stage of screening and abstraction.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data items included study and participant demographics, details of case definition (PTSD screening), and risk factors.

DATA SYNTHESIS

We followed the Preferred Reporting items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines. Random-effects models were used to analyze PTSD prevalence and subgroup differences. In 24 citations meeting final review criteria, 19 had data for meta-analysis. There were 1898 PICU survivors with a median (interquartile range) cohort size of 59 (49-76). PTSD prevalence in the studies ranged from 3% to 37%; PTSD occurred in 529 of 1898 survivors ( I2 = 72%). Factors influencing PTSD variability included timing of assessment ( p < 0.01) with the highest prevalence (29%) at 6 months and the type of assessment instrument ( n = 10; range, 4-27%; p = 0.04). There was lower prevalence of PTSD (8%) in postoperative cardiac patients ( p < 0.01). Last, we failed to find an association between PICU length of stay and PTSD prevalence ( p = 0.62; I2 = 80%).

CONCLUSIONS

PICU follow-up studies from 2000 to 2022 indicate that one-in-three of admissions surviving to 6 months have PTSD. However, there are population, study design factors and heterogeneity in PTSD assessment that indicate more standardization in this research is needed.

Trajectories of Short-Term Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Patients with Post-Intensive Care Syndrome: A Longitudinal Observational Study

Purpose

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a major psychiatric health issue among intensive care unit (ICU) survivors with post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). Although early PTSD intervention has been demonstrated to decrease the risk of progression from acute to chronic PTSD, information on the progression trajectory of short-term PTSD symptoms and modifiable risk factors in PICS patients is limited. This study aimed to explore the clinical progression trajectories of short-term PTSD symptoms and the associated factors in PICS patients by conducting a prospective longitudinal observational study.

Patients and Methods

This study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in China. The impact of event scale-revised was used to collect data on the PTSD symptoms of patients at 1, 2, 3, and 4 months post-discharge from the ICU. The latent growth mixture model was used to construct trajectory models for PTSD symptoms and multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with the trajectories.

Results

A total of 130 ICU survivors with PICS completed the 4-month short-term follow-up. Our results showed that PTSD symptoms in PICS patients manifested as three trajectories, namely, moderate chronic (n = 17, 13.1%), recovery (n = 25, 19.2%), and resilience (n = 88, 67.7%). Compared with the resilience trajectory, age and female were identified as risk factors for the moderate chronic trajectory, while prolonged ICU stay was a risk factor for the recovery trajectory.

Conclusion

Our study showed that short-term PTSD symptoms in PICS patients manifested as moderate chronic, recovery, and resilience trajectories. Additionally, our results showed that PTSD screening should be conducted for critically ill patients, especially younger, female, or long-term ICU patients, immediately after their discharge from the ICU.

The factors associated with paediatric medical post-traumatic stress: A systematic review

We examined and synthesised existing literature on factors associated with paediatric medical-related posttraumatic stress among children and their parents. Children experiencing a broad spectrum of medical conditions, diseases and injuries were of interest. A search of relevant literature concerning PMTS in children and their parents, as well as factors associated with PMTS, was conducted using Medline, PubMed and Scopus. Only studies published in English between January 2018 and November 2023 were included. Twelve articles met inclusion criteria. A broad range of correlates of PMTS were identified for children and parents, which were thematically organised into six key areas: hospital practices and environments; the parent-child relationship; parental mental wellbeing; psychological factors; sociodemographic factors; and the physical consequences of the condition. Bearing in mind constraints on causal inference due to the design of the included studies, knowledge of the factors associated with PMTS may enable clinicians to identify at-risk children and parents, with a view to intervention.

"I want to be there. I have to be there.": Parents' perceived barriers and facilitators to bedside presence in the pediatric intensive care unit

Introduction

Parental presence at the bedside during a stressful pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission may improve child comfort, reduce parental anxiety, and enable family engagement. We performed this study to identify factors that parents perceive impact their capability, opportunity, and motivation to be at the bedside in PICU.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). We included parents of children admitted to the PICU for at least 24 h at IWK Health in Nova Scotia, Canada. Interviews were coded independently by two researchers using a directed content approach based on the TDF. We generated themes and subthemes, with the subthemes identified as factors impacting parental presence, and assigned TDF domains to each of the subthemes.

Results

Fourteen primary caregivers (8 mother figures, 6 father figures) participated in 11 interviews. The factors associated with parental presence were captured by 6 themes: Understanding the Medicalized Child; Maintaining the Parent Role; Life Beyond the Hospital; Parental Intrinsic Responses and Coping; Support Structures; and The PICU Environment. Fifty-two barriers and enablers were identified within 13 TDF domains; 10 TDF domains were determined to be relevant to parental presence, which may be used to guide design of future interventions. Participants emphasized the importance of self-care to enable them to remain physically at their child's bedside and to be engaged in their care.

Conclusions

Parents perceive multiple factors within 6 themes act as barriers or enablers to presence with their critically ill child in the PICU. Guided by relevant TDF domains, interventions may be designed to optimize presence, particularly engaged presence, which may improve health-related outcomes of children and their parents.