How Common is PTSD in Parents After Their Child's Medical Event?

What you need to know

• About 30% of parents develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after their child experiences a significant medical event
• Parents of children with cancer had the highest rates of PTSD compared to other medical conditions
• Factors like parental anxiety, depression, and uncertainty about the child’s illness were strongly linked to developing PTSD

Understanding PTSD in parents after a child’s medical event

When a child experiences a serious medical event, it can be traumatic not only for the child but also for their parents. This study aimed to understand how common post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is among parents after their child’s medical event and what factors might increase the risk of developing PTSD.

PTSD is a mental health condition that can occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Symptoms can include intrusive thoughts or memories about the event, avoidance of reminders, negative changes in thoughts and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions.

How common is PTSD in parents?

The researchers combined data from 54 different studies, including over 6,700 parents. They found that, on average, about 30% of parents developed PTSD after their child’s medical event. However, this rate varied considerably depending on the type of medical event.

Parents of children with cancer had the highest rates of PTSD, with about 41% developing the condition. This was significantly higher than for other medical events. For comparison, about 18% of parents whose children had Type 1 diabetes developed PTSD.

It’s important to note that there was a lot of variation between studies, with PTSD rates ranging from about 7% to 76%. This suggests that other factors beyond just the type of medical event play a role in whether a parent develops PTSD.

What increases the risk of PTSD in parents?

The researchers identified several factors that were associated with a higher risk of developing PTSD:

1. Parental mental health: Parents who experienced symptoms of depression, anxiety, or general psychological distress were more likely to develop PTSD. This was one of the strongest risk factors identified.

2. Uncertainty about the child’s illness: Parents who felt uncertain about their child’s condition or prognosis were at higher risk for PTSD.

3. Child behavioral difficulties: If the child was experiencing behavioral problems, parents were more likely to develop PTSD.

4. Negative coping strategies: Parents who used strategies like avoidance, disengagement, or substance use to cope were at higher risk.

5. Acute stress disorder: Parents who met criteria for acute stress disorder shortly after the event were more likely to later develop PTSD.

6. Child PTSD: If the child developed PTSD, the parent was at higher risk as well.

7. Being a mother: Mothers were slightly more likely than fathers to develop PTSD, though the difference was small.

8. Lack of social support: Parents who perceived less social support were at higher risk.

9. Previous trauma: Parents who had experienced previous traumatic events were more likely to develop PTSD.

Interestingly, medical factors like the severity of the child’s illness or length of hospital stay had only small effects on the risk of parental PTSD. This suggests that a parent’s subjective experience and coping strategies may be more important than objective medical factors in determining who develops PTSD.

Understanding the impact

The high rates of PTSD among parents are concerning for several reasons. Untreated PTSD can have serious long-term effects on a person’s mental health and overall functioning. Moreover, when a parent develops PTSD, it can affect their ability to support their child through the medical event and recovery process.

Research has shown that when parents are traumatized by their child’s medical event, it can increase the risk of the child developing PTSD as well. Parental PTSD can also impact family functioning and parenting practices.

Implications for healthcare providers

These findings highlight the importance of assessing and supporting parents’ mental health when a child experiences a significant medical event. Healthcare providers should be aware of the high risk of PTSD, particularly for parents of children with cancer.

Screening for risk factors like parental anxiety, depression, and uncertainty about the child’s illness could help identify parents who may need additional support. Providing clear, understandable information about the child’s condition and treatment may help reduce uncertainty.

Offering mental health support to parents, teaching positive coping strategies, and connecting parents with social support resources could potentially reduce the risk of PTSD. For parents who do develop PTSD, early identification and treatment is important to minimize long-term impacts on the parent, child, and family.

Limitations of the research

While this study provides valuable insights, it’s important to note some limitations. The research only included published studies in English, which could have missed some relevant data. There was also significant variation between studies, which makes it harder to draw firm conclusions.

Additionally, most studies used self-report questionnaires rather than clinical interviews to assess PTSD, which might have overestimated the prevalence. The study also didn’t look at how PTSD symptoms might change over time.

Conclusions

• About 30% of parents develop PTSD after their child’s medical event, with higher rates for parents of children with cancer
• Parental mental health, uncertainty about the child’s illness, and coping strategies are important risk factors
• Healthcare providers should be aware of this risk and consider ways to support parents’ mental health
• More research is needed to understand how to best prevent and treat PTSD in this population

This research underscores the significant psychological impact that a child’s medical event can have on parents. By understanding the prevalence and risk factors of PTSD, healthcare providers can better support families through these challenging experiences.