STUDY TO ASSESS STRESS AND COPING STRATEGIES USED BY THE PARENTS OF CRITICALLY ILL CHILDREN ADMITTED IN PICU.

Ms.Prerna Rasekar; Shalini Lokhande

Volume : VII, Issue : X, October - 2018

STUDY TO ASSESS STRESS AND COPING STRATEGIES USED BY THE PARENTS OF CRITICALLY ILL CHILDREN ADMITTED IN PICU.

Ms. Prerna Rasekar, Shalini Lokhande

Abstract :

Having a child or infant in the hospital is of the most stressful events parents can experience. Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is a highly stressful environment to most parents. Having one�s child admitted to a PICU is difficult for parents. The criteria for admission to a PICU are frightening and can realistically prompt fear that their child could die or become severely disabled. They may be overwhelmed with the stress of the illness, compliment medical information, and worry for their child�s future while trying to balance other family demands and maintain some continuity in their daily lives. As they encounter stressors, they must find ways to cope and to maintain stability. The transactional model of stress and coping provides a framework for the study of the process of s tress appraisal and subsequent coping efforts this model emphasizes the interaction between an individual and their environment with coping viewed as a process^1.Material and Method:The sample of the study consists of 50 parents of critically ill children. Purposive sampling technique was used to collect data. Modified stress scale (5 point likert scale) used to assess the stress level and 5 point rating scale was used to know coping strategy. Result: The finding of the study show that 80% of parents having moderate stress and 20 % parents have mild stress. The coping strategy of parents is 36% poor ,46% average coping and 18% well coping. By using Pearson�s correlation coefficient significant positive correlation was found between stress and coping strategy score among parents of critically ill children at existing(r=0.873, p-value=0.0001).