Critical Care Fellows’ Perceptions of Parent Distress in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Background/Purpose. During hospitalization in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), approximately 25-60% of parents experience clinical levels of distress (i.e., traumatic stress, anxiety, and depressed mood), which likely impacts their decision-making, ability to care for their child, and puts them at risk for long-term psychological sequelae (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder). Despite this, PICU providers rarely refer parents to formal psychological services, and parents report that their emotional needs are not well addressed by hospital staff. Difficulty identify and/or responding to distressed parents may explain these deficiencies. Therefore, the present study …