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Parental post-traumatic stress, overprotective parenting, and emotional and behavioural problems for children with critical congenital heart disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2021

Linda G. McWhorter Open the ORCID record for Linda G. McWhorter [Opens in a new window] ,
Jennifer Christofferson ,
Trent Neely ,
Aimee K. Hildenbrand ,
Melissa A. Alderfer ,
Amy Randall ,
Anne E. Kazak  and
Erica Sood Open the ORCID record for Erica Sood [Opens in a new window]
Linda G. McWhorter*
Affiliation:
Division of Behavioral Health, Department of Pediatrics, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology, College of Health and Human Services, Widener University, Chester, PA, USA
Jennifer Christofferson
Affiliation:
Department of Research, Center for Healthcare Delivery Science, Nemours Children’s Health System, Wilmington, DE, USA
Trent Neely
Affiliation:
Brothers by Heart/Sisters by Heart, El Segundo, CA, USA
Aimee K. Hildenbrand
Affiliation:
Division of Behavioral Health, Department of Pediatrics, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA Department of Research, Center for Healthcare Delivery Science, Nemours Children’s Health System, Wilmington, DE, USA Department of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Melissa A. Alderfer
Affiliation:
Department of Research, Center for Healthcare Delivery Science, Nemours Children’s Health System, Wilmington, DE, USA Department of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Amy Randall
Affiliation:
Mended Little Hearts of Wisconsin, Mended Hearts/Mended Little Hearts
Anne E. Kazak
Affiliation:
Department of Research, Center for Healthcare Delivery Science, Nemours Children’s Health System, Wilmington, DE, USA Department of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Erica Sood
Affiliation:
Division of Behavioral Health, Department of Pediatrics, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA Department of Research, Center for Healthcare Delivery Science, Nemours Children’s Health System, Wilmington, DE, USA Department of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA Nemours Cardiac Center, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Linda McWhorter, PhD, Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology, Widener University, One University Place, Chester, PA19013, USA. Tel: (610) 499-1385; Fax: 610-499-4625. E-mail: LGMcWhorter@widener.edu
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Abstract

Objective:

To examine relationships amongst parental post-traumatic stress symptoms, parental post-traumatic growth, overprotective parenting, and child emotional/behavioural problems in families of children with critical CHD.

Method:

Sixty parents (15 fathers) of children aged 1–6 completed online questionnaires assessing parental post-traumatic stress symptoms and post-traumatic growth, overprotective parenting, and child emotional/behavioural problems. Bivariate correlations and mediational analyses were conducted to evaluate overprotective parenting as a mediator of the association between parental post-traumatic stress symptoms and child emotional/behavioural problems.

Results:

Parents reported significant post-traumatic stress symptoms, with over 18% meeting criteria for post–traumatic stress disorder and 70% meeting criteria in one or more clusters. Parental post-traumatic growth was positively correlated with intrusion (r = .32, p = .01) but it was not associated with other post-traumatic stress symptom clusters. Parental post-traumatic stress symptoms were positively associated with overprotective parenting (r = .37, p = .008) and total child emotional/behavioural problems (r = .29, p = .037). Overprotective parenting was positively associated with total child emotional/behavioural problems (r = .45, p = .001) and fully mediated the relationship between parental post-traumatic stress symptoms and child emotional/behavioural problems.

Conclusion:

Overprotective parenting mediates the relationship between parental post-traumatic stress symptoms and child emotional and behavioural problems in families of children with CHD. Both parental post-traumatic stress symptoms and overprotective parenting may be modifiable risk factors for poor child outcomes. This study highlights the need for interventions to prevent or reduce parental post-traumatic stress symptoms and to promote effective parenting following a diagnosis of CHD.

Keywords

Congenital heart diseaseoverprotective parentingpost-traumatic stresspost-traumatic stress disorderneurodevelopmental outcomes
Type
Original Article
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 32 , Issue 5 , May 2022 , pp. 738 - 745
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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