Psychological Impact of Home Apnea Monitoring

Abstract

Mothers of 30 infants who had experienced an emergency apnea episode and were placed on a home apnea monitor were studied longitudinally, using measures of mood disturbance (anxiety, depression, hostility, fatigue, vigor and confusion). Mothers were assessed at the time of hospitalization immediately following the apnea episode, after approximately one month of home monitoring, and after three months of home monitoring. Measures of family resources, health locus of control, and coping style, involving preference for information under situations of threat, were obtained as predictor variables. A high level of mood disturbance was seen initially, but this was transient, diminishing significantly after the first month of monitoring. Level of family resources was highly predictive of mood disturbance throughout the study period, while health locus of control beliefs were predictive of changes in mood disturbance over time. These findings suggest a means for identifying families at higher risk for maladaptive responses, and in need of more intensive psychosocial support.