Positive Orientation and Posttraumatic Growth in Mothers of Children with Cystic Fibrosis - Mediating Role of Coping Strategies

The role of coping and positivity in shaping mental health among Portuguese informal caregivers

The role of informal caregivers is increasingly relevant in the current sociodemographic context, with Portugal having an estimated 1.3 million caregivers. This study explores the relationship between coping strategies, Positive Life Orientation (PLO), and mental health among 133 Portuguese informal caregivers. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional methodology, results show a significant association between specific coping strategies, PLO, and variables related to distress and well-being. PLO and instrumental support positively predict well-being, while duration of care and self-blame and PLO positively predict depression, and positive reappraisal and positivity negatively predict depression. Religion, self-blame, and seeking emotional support are positively associated with anxiety, while religion, self-blame, and seeking emotional support positively predict stress, and positivity negatively predicts stress. PLO emerges as the strongest predictor of well-being. These findings underscore the importance of coping strategies and PLO in understanding informal caregivers' mental health, informing the development of personalized interventions tailored to their unique needs.

Predictors of Moderate-High Posttraumatic Growth in Parents of Children With Cancer: A Cross-sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Parents of children with cancer may experience posttraumatic growth (PTG). In clinical practice, this parental enhancement is more likely to be seen with a moderate-high PTG.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine the moderate-high PTG prevalence of parents of children diagnosed with cancer at least 6 months and to investigate its relationship with hope, social support, and patient-parent characteristics.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted with the parents of children with cancer admitted to the pediatric hematology-oncology unit using the Parent-Child Characteristic Questionnaire, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and Dispositional Hope Scale. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the variables associated with moderate-high PTG.

RESULTS

One hundred one parents were enrolled in this study, and the prevalence of the moderate-high PTG was 79.2%. There was a statistically significant difference between moderate-high PTG and children's age (P = .037). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that social support from significant others (odds ratio = 1.138, 95% confidence interval = 1.030-1.257, P = .011) was a predictor of moderate-high PTG.

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate-high PTG is common among parents of children diagnosed with cancer. Perceived social support from healthcare professionals and other patient parents is a predictive factor.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Interventions that encourage the support of health professionals and interaction with the parents of other patients, such as peer counseling, group-based interventions, and expanding the social support network, seem to be clinically promising in helping parents to improve from the cancer experience.

Post-traumatic growth correlates among parents of children with chronic illnesses: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Parenting a child with a chronic illness presents a complex journey marked by various challenges, along with possible personal growth following these challenges. In this systematic review we present three meta-analyses, in order to examine the associations of post-traumatic growth (PTG) among parents of children with diverse chronic illnesses, and psychological distress, social support, and resilience. Analyzing 34 studies encompassing a total of 5328 parents, the results reveal several key findings. First, PTG was found to be prevalent among the parents. Second, there was no significant correlation between PTG and psychological distress, suggesting that these two processes may exist independently. Third, a positive correlation was observed between PTG and both social support and resilience-related factors, underscoring the role of these factors in fostering growth among parents of children with chronic illnesses. Additionally, illness type emerged as a moderator, affecting the strength of the above-mentioned correlations with PTG. Specifically, in the case of psychiatric illnesses, correlations of PTG with social support and resilience were stronger than in the context of other illnesses. Overall, this review emphasizes the significance of recognizing and addressing PTG correlates among parents of children with chronic illnesses, offering insights for clinical practice.

Evaluation of coping strategies of parents of children with cystic fibrosis

This cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted to evaluate the coping strategies of parents of children with cystic fibrosis. The research sample is the parents (n: 112) who presented to Thoracic Medicine Department at Hacettepe University Pediatric Hospital between 3 April 2021 - 28 May 2021 and volunteered to participate in the study. Sociodemographic Data Form and Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (COPE Inventory) were used in the collection of data. The study examined coping strategies according to children's characteristics such as age, sex, education, and parents' independent variables such as employment status, income status, number of individuals and children in the family, communication with other families, social and financial support. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Research findings show that religious coping was the most frequently preferred coping strategy, and behavioral disengagement was the least commonly used coping strategy. Emotion-Focused Coping Strategies were also commonly used. Social work interventions and strategies play an important role in helping parents to adopt positive coping strategies and improve their skills.

Posttraumatic Growth and its Correlates Among Parents of Children With Cleft Lip and/or Palate

This study examined the posttraumatic growth (PTG) about parents of children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) and the correlates of PTG.

A cross-sectional study.

Parents (N = 388) of children with isolated CL/P (ages 3 months-18 years) who had at least one cleft surgery within an oral and maxillofacial surgery department of a university-affiliated tertiary hospital in a provincial capital in southwest China.

Demographic information questionnaire, The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and Social Support Rating Scale were used for data collection.

Parents' mean PTG score was in the moderate range (M = 65.7, SD = 13.73). PTG differed regarding the participants' sex, ethnicity, and educational background. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed that positive coping (r = 0.43, P < .01), negative coping (r = 0.13, P < .01), and social support (r = 0.26, P < .01) were positively correlated with PTG. Multiple regression model showed that 20.6% (P < .001) of the variance in PTG was explained by higher positive coping (β = 0.35, P < .001), greater social support (β = 0.13, P = .01), and for cleft lip compared to cleft palate (β = -0.14, P ≤ .01), with no variance difference for cleft lip and palate.

Parents of children with CL/P had moderate PTG. Potentially modifiable correlates of PTG suggest interventions to enhance parental positive coping and social support may increase PTG. Further studies are needed to confirm the PTG level and its affecting factors of parents of children with CL/P.

The relationship of spiritual orientation and caregiver burden of caregiver mothers with a child with cerebral palsy in Turkey

INTRODUCTION

This study aims to examine the association between spiritual orientation and the caregiving burden experienced by mothers of children with cerebral palsy.

METHODS

Parents of 181 children with cerebral palsy, aged 0-18, participated in this cross-sectional-descriptive study. "Sociodemographic Form," "Spiritual Orientation Scale," "Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale," and "Gross Motor Function Classification System" were used to collect data.

RESULTS

The mothers who participated in the study had a mean age of 35.74 ± 5.94 years. The study showed that 17.1% of children with cerebral palsy did not receive special education, and 92.8% of them were born with a disability. Additionally, 62.4% of the children were found to be undernourished, 48.6% had irregular oral care, 43.1% had semi-active activity, 65.7% had irregular sleeping patterns, and 50.8% only partially understood what was stated. The study discovered that as mothers' ages increased, their spiritual orientation decreased, and their burden of caring increased. Furthermore, the mothers of children with severe disabilities had an increasing burden of care, as indicated by the gross motor classification.

CONCLUSIONS

The study found that mothers with higher spiritual orientation scores perceived less care burden. These findings suggest the need for implementing activities to provide moral support to mothers.

Validation of post-traumatic growth inventory in mothers with the experience of having the NICU-Hospitalized newborns "validation of post-traumatic growth inventory"

AIMS

Investigating post-traumatic growth (PTG) in mothers with the experience of having a preterm newborn hospitalized in the NICU requires a valid tool. This study aims to determine the validity and reliability of the Farsi version of the post-traumatic growth inventory (PTGI) in mothers with the experience of having their newborns hospitalized in the NICU.

DESIGN

This study was methodological research.

METHODS

In this study, 250 mothers who had newborns with a history of NICU hospitalization during the last 3 to 12 months and had visited paediatric clinics of the selected hospitals in Tehran with the aim of having their children's condition examined were selected through convenience sampling. The data were collected using a demographic information questionnaire and PTGI. The face validity, the construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis), and the internal consistency reliability of the inventory were measured using SPSS V22 and LISREL V8.8.

RESULTS

According to appropriate values for factor analysis fit indices (FI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.07, IFI = 0.94, NFI = 0.93, RFI = 0.91, NNFI = 0.93, SRMR = 0.07), 21 items and 5 factors were confirmed for this inventory. Furthermore, Cronbach's alpha coefficient of this inventory was measured as α = 0.94.

CONCLUSION

According to favourable psychometric properties, the Farsi version of PTGI is a suitable tool for studying PTG in mothers with the experience of having preterm newborns in the NICU. Using PTGI can help nurses in planning family-centered care interventions to reduce the impact of the mental trauma caused by the preterm newborn's hospitalization in parents.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Mothers who had newborns with a history of NICU hospitalization during the last 3-12 months.

The lived experiences of parents providing care to young people who self-harm: A meta-aggregative synthesis of qualitative studies

Self-harm, which affects the whole family system, is an international public health concern. Empirical evidence supports the efficacy of interventions incorporating a family/parent training component for self-injurious thoughts and behaviours, and a quantitative synthesis of these empirical studies has been undertaken and updated. A qualitative synthesis of the experiences of parents whose child self-harms remains limited. This report aimed to systematically review qualitative research about the experiences, preferences, and expectations of parents whose children self-harmed. A comprehensive search was conducted across ten databases and four grey literature sources, along with the manual search of reference lists and relevant websites. Study screening, data extraction, and quality appraisal were all performed by two independent researchers. Twenty-four articles, two of which were mixed-methods studies, were included and analysed using a meta-aggregation approach. Five synthesized findings were identified: initial negative reactions to the discovery of their child's self-harm, the ongoing impact of self-harm on parents and the wider family, parents' various coping strategies, parents' negative experiences with mental health professionals expectations, and the lack of and need for psychoeducational resources. Our review finds that parents express keen interest in engaging with the treatment process, and our results support family-based therapy. However, with the overwhelming emotions most parents experience, clinicians should approach them with sensitivity, empathy and finesse. Psychoeducational self-help resources should also be made readily available to parents who are reluctant to seek help.

Posttraumatic Growth in Youth, Young Adults, and Caregivers Who Experienced Solid Organ Transplant

OBJECTIVE

To explore posttraumatic growth (PTG) in pediatric patients who have undergone solid organ transplant (SOT) and their caregivers, and to examine potential correlates of PTG.

METHOD

Youth and young adults with a history of SOT (heart, kidney, liver) at least 1 month prior to participation and caregivers completed measures of PTG, demographic, and medical factors. In total, 59 youth (M = 12.68 years, SD = 1.91), 21 young adults (M = 19.37, SD = 0.82), and 95 caregivers (M = 37.95 years, SD = 9.37) participated.

RESULTS

Overall, 67% of youth, 76% of young adults, and 89% of caregivers reported PTG within the medium to very high range. Appreciation of Life was the highest PTG subscale across all groups. Youth and caregiver PTG scores were significantly positively correlated. Religious affiliation and religious coping were positively associated with PTG for caregivers, and the relationship yielded large effect sizes for young adults. Caregivers of children with kidney transplants endorsed lower PTG than other organ types and caregivers of children who had an acute medical condition endorsed greater PTG than caregivers of children who had chronic illness.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest the pediatric SOT experience can yield positive changes such as a greater appreciation of life. Although small sample sizes may have led to reduced power for detecting significant findings for some analyses, results suggest religious, medical, and parent-child relationship factors are likely related to PTG in pediatric SOT and warrant future investigation.

Sense of Stress and Posttraumatic Growth in Mothers of Children with Cystic Fibrosis-The Moderating Role of Resilience

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the moderating role of resilience in the relationship between sense of stress and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in mothers of children with cystic fibrosis (CF).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in a group of 139 mothers of children with CF. A diagnostic survey with Polish versions of the inventories was used.

RESULTS

Over half of the mothers (52.89%) reported average and 26.11% high levels of general sense of stress. Mothers also experienced high (37.68%) and average (34.06%) PTG. Generally, mothers of children with CF manifested low general resilience. Sense of stress and PTG were significantly and positively correlated in this group of mothers. Positive correlations were revealed between resilience (total and individual dimensions), total PTG, and 1 dimension of PTG: changes in self-perception. Moreover, resilience was found to correlate with sense of stress. The obtained results indicate that resilience manifested as an optimistic life attitude and the ability to mobilize in difficult situations, and tolerance of failures and treating life as a challenge is a moderator in the relationship between sense of stress and PTG.

CONCLUSION

The relationship between sense of stress and PTG in mothers of children with CF depends on the level of resilience.