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Parents meet criteria for PTSD following child’s stroke
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Parents met criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder following their child’s stroke, and their children demonstrated clinically significant levels of anxiety, according to one researcher.
“Preliminary findings reveal that the rate of PTSD is similar to that found in parents of other children with critical illnesses. Clinically significant levels of anxiety were found in over 20% of children who had a stroke,” Laura Lehman, MD, neurologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, said during a presentation at the International Stroke Conference.
Laura Lehman
Lehman and colleagues included children with stroke (aged 7 to 18 years), and parents of children with stroke, that occurred in 2013 or 2014, according to abstract data.
Parents were screened using the University of California Los Angeles PTSD Reaction Index, and emotional outcomes of the children were measured using the Behavior Assessment System for Children. Parents were also surveyed on their child’s stroke outcomes.
Eighteen (55%) parents (10 fathers, 23 mothers) met one or more of the three criteria for PTSD, and eight parents (24%) met all criteria. Two out of nine children (22%) demonstrated clinically significant levels of anxiety, according to data.
“PTSD in parents of children with stroke, and anxiety among children following stroke could adversely affect compliance with therapy such as physical and occupation therapy, as well as their function in school. This could lead to a poor overall outcome in the child,” Lehman said. – by Samantha Costa
Reference:
Lehman LL, et al. Abstract T P363. Presented at: International Stroke Conference; Feb. 11-13, 2015; Nashville, Tenn.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Perspective
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With respect to patients, we know very well that depression and other negative emotions is prognostically negative following heart attack or heart surgery, or bypass. We know that already. Now, this is being extended the parents of young patients. I think the take-home message is – yes, if you have a person in front of you who is not able to focus on what you’re saying, or is not able to deal very effectively with high levels of anxiety because of this event, then you may have to refer or arrange for alternative services to deal with that increased negative emotion, anxiety and depression because it will impact how they are as a caretaker, how well they function as a caretaker. At least that is the initial signal. I don’t think we need to call it PTSD to get to that point. I think any severe anxiety, any severe depression could get to that point.