Abstract 11736: Role Alteration Predicts Post-Traumatic Stress, Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Parents of Infants With Congenital Heart Disease

Abstract

Background: Parents of infants born with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at increased risk for mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress (PTS). Few studies have examined to what extent the hospital experience influences these mental health symptoms over time. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine hospital factors predicting parent anxiety, depression, and PTS at 3 months post-discharge. Methods: A convenience sample of 28 biological mother-father dyads was enrolled consecutively from August 2018 to October 2019 from one children’s hospital in the Northeast, US. Parents were instructed to complete questionnaires, including valid and reliable instruments for mental health symptoms, within one week of their infant’s surgery and 3 months post discharge. Associations between hospital factors and each mental health symptom at 3 months post discharge were assessed using linear mixed effects models, accounting for the anticipated correlation between parents of the same infant using an unstructured covariance matrix. Separate linear mixed effects models were constructed for each mental health symptom using backward selection method. Results: For each one unit increase in parental role alteration, anxiety symptoms were estimated to be increased by 5.98 (SE + 1.60; p=0.002). Parents with at least a college education were estimated to have greater anxiety symptoms compared to parents with high school/technical school or less (10.89 + 3.75; p=0.009). For each one unit increase in role alteration, depressive symptoms were estimated to be increased (4.41 + 1.72; p=0.02). PTS was also significantly predicted by role alteration (5.06 + 1.91; p=0.02) along with timing of CHD diagnosis, with postnatal diagnosis estimated to increase PTS symptoms by 21.80 (SE + 10.07; p=0.04) units compared to prenatal diagnosis. Conclusion: Role alteration experienced by parents during their infant’s hospitalization significantly predicts anxiety, depression, and PTS symptoms 3-months after discharge. Additional factors were identified that can inform mental health screening in this population. Future interventions to enhance the role of parents during infant hospitalization may support parent mental health post discharge.