Parent coping support interventions during acute pediatric hospitalizations: A meta-analysis

Stephanie K. Doupnik, Douglas Hill, Deepak Palakshappa, Diana Worsley, Hanah Bae, Aleesha Shaik, Maylene Kefeng Qiu, Meghan Marsac, Chris Feudtner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

73 Scopus citations

Abstract

CONTEXT: Parents may experience psychological distress when a child is acutely hospitalized, which can negatively affect child outcomes. Interventions designed to support parents' coping have the potential to mitigate this distress. OBJECTIVE: To describe interventions designed to provide coping support to parents of hospitalized children and conduct a meta-analysis of coping support intervention outcomes (parent anxiety, depression, and stress). DATA SOURCES: We searched Pubmed, Embase, PsycINFO, Psychiatry Online, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature from 1985 to 2016 for English-language articles including the concepts "pediatric, " "hospitalization, " "parents, " and "coping support intervention." STUDY SELECTION: Two authors reviewed titles and abstracts to identify studies meeting inclusion criteria and reviewed full text if a determination was not possible using the title and abstract. References of studies meeting inclusion criteria were reviewed to identify additional articles for inclusion. DATA EXTRACTION: Two authors abstracted data and assessed risk of bias by using a structured instrument. RESULTS: Initial searches yielded 3450 abstracts for possible inclusion. Thirty-two studies met criteria for inclusion in the systematic review and 12 studies met criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The most commonly measured outcomes were parent depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. In meta-analysis, combined intervention effects significantly reduced parent anxiety and stress but not depression. Heterogeneity among included studies was high. LIMITATIONS: Most included studies were conducted at single centers with small sample sizes. CONCLUSIONS: Coping support interventions can alleviate parents' psychological distress during children's hospitalization. More evidence is needed to determine if such interventions benefit children.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere20164171
JournalPediatrics
Volume140
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health

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