• Lisa M Farley, David R DeMaso, Eugene D'Angelo, Carolyn Kinnamon, Heather Bastardi, Clara E Hill, Elizabeth D Blume, and Deirdre E Logan.
• Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
• J. Heart Lung Transplant. 2007 Feb 1;26(2):120-6.

BackgroundThere has been little research on the stress experienced by parents of children who have undergone heart transplantation.MethodsParents of 52 consecutive pediatric heart transplant recipients completed questionnaires assessing illness-related parenting stress and post-traumatic stress symptoms at a routine clinic visit. Medical charts were reviewed retrospectively to gather peri- and post-operative information.ResultsThe average age of patients at transplant was 12 years (range 1 to 18 years), and participation occurred 3 months to 10 years post-transplant (median 2.5 years). Nearly 40% of parents indicated moderately severe to severe post-traumatic stress symptoms. Ten of the 52 participating parents met DSM-IV-TR clinical diagnostic criteria for current post-traumatic stress disorder. Parents also identified significant levels of illness-related parenting stress in the areas of communication around the child's illness, emotional distress, managing the child's medical care, and balancing role functions.ConclusionsIllness-related parenting stress and post-traumatic stress symptoms are significant concerns among parents of pediatric heart transplant patients. Parents' psychologic functioning post-transplant should be routinely assessed and addressed by transplant teams.

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