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Role alteration predicts anxiety and depressive symptoms in parents of infants with congenital heart disease: a pilot study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2021

Amy J. Lisanti Open the ORCID record for Amy J. Lisanti [Opens in a new window] ,
Aparna Kumar ,
Ryan Quinn ,
Jesse L. Chittams ,
Barbara Medoff-Cooper  and
Abigail C. Demianczyk
Amy J. Lisanti*
Affiliation:
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Nursing and Clinical Care Services, Philadelphia, PA, USA University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Aparna Kumar
Affiliation:
Thomas Jefferson University College of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Ryan Quinn
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Jesse L. Chittams
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Barbara Medoff-Cooper
Affiliation:
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Nursing and Clinical Care Services, Philadelphia, PA, USA University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Abigail C. Demianczyk
Affiliation:
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Amy J. Lisanti, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Nursing and Clinical Care Services, 3401 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Tel: +1 610-368-4788; Fax: +1 267-426-7385. Email: lisanti@chop.edu
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Abstract

Background:

Parents of infants born with critical congenital heart disease are at risk for adverse mental health symptoms. The purpose of this study was to identify infant-, parent-, and environmental-based stressors for mothers and fathers after their infants’ cardiac surgery, and to explore relationships between stressors and mental health symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Methods:

This study enrolled 28 biological mother-father dyads from families admitted to the paediatric cardiac intensive care unit for cardiac surgery at one free-standing children’s hospital in the Northeast. Paired t-tests were used to examine group differences between mothers and fathers on perceived stressors and mental health symptoms, while linear mixed effects modelling was used to explore the predictive relationship between perceived stressors, personal factors, and mental health symptoms.

Results:

Mothers reported higher perceived stressor scores of parental role alteration (t = 4.03, p < 0.01) and infant appearance and behaviour (t = 2.61, p = 0.02), and total perceived stress (t = 2.29 p = 0.03), compared to fathers. Mothers also reported higher anxiety (t = 2.47, p = 0.02) and depressive symptoms (t = 3.25, p < 0.01) than fathers. In multivariable analysis, parental role alteration significantly predicted anxiety (t = 5.20, p < 0.01, d = 0.77) and depressive symptoms (t = 7.09, p < 0.01, d = 1.05) for mothers and fathers. The consensus subscale of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale also significantly predicted depressive symptoms (t = −2.42, p = 0.02, d = 0.04).

Conclusion:

Parents were distressed during their infant’s admission for surgical repair for critical congenital heart disease. Parental role alteration was significantly associated with parental anxiety and depressive symptoms, while poor relationship quality was associated with depressive symptoms, highlighting areas for potential nursing-led psychosocial led interventions.

Keywords

Stressmental healthanxietydepressionparentscongenital heart disease
Type
Original Article
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 31 , Issue 11 , November 2021 , pp. 1842 - 1849
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

Suggested tweet: Parental role alteration influences mental health symptoms of both mothers and fathers of critically ill infants with CHD @amyjolisanti @ChildrensPhila @CardiologyYoung @NewbornCardiac @cardiacneuro #pedsICU #CHD #pedscards

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