Children's Behavioral Responses Research Articles

Perceived vulnerability to disease and children's COVID behavioral response: The role of health consciousness and family financial status.

This study investigated the impact of family financial status on Chinese children's health-related traits and their behavior in controlling COVID-19. When the children were 7 years old, their guardians provided information on family financial status. When the children reached 10 years old, they completed questionnaires concerning their own health consciousness and health status. At age 11, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, they filled out questionnaires on perceived vulnerability to disease and disease control behavior. The findings revealed that higher health consciousness is associated with better health, particularly among children from financially challenged families. Additionally, a greater perception of vulnerability to disease is linked to increased COVID-19 control behaviors, particularly in children with high health consciousness in affluent families. These results contribute to our understanding of how children's personal health-related traits and family financial status interact to shape their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sensory room: Naturalistic assessment of auditory and visual perception in developing children

IntroductionHearing is essential for language acquisition and understanding the environment. Understanding how children react to auditory and visual information is essential for appropriate management in case of hearing loss. Objective and subjective assessments can diagnose hearing loss, but do not measure natural perception in children. We developed a “sensory room” for complementary assessment of children's perceptions so as to assess behavioral responses to meaningful natural sounds and visual stimuli in an ecologic environment suited to children. Material and methodsSixteen normal-hearing children and 10 with congenital hearing loss before cochlear implantation, aged 13 to 32months, were included in this feasibility study. They perceived 18 environmental sounds and 9 visual stimuli, and their behavioral responses were coded accordingly as: stopping, looking, moving, pointing, language or emotional reactions. ResultAll children completed the task, demonstrating its feasibility in children. Percentage responses to auditory versus visual stimuli did not differ in normal-hearing children; those with congenital hearing loss responded like normal-hearing children to visual stimuli, but did not react to auditory stimuli. Progression in normal-hearing children's behavioral responses corresponded to cognitive and linguistic development according to age. ConclusionThe “sensory room” quantified children's responses to various auditory and visual stimuli, providing clinicians with measurable insight into the children's sensory perception and processing.

A dyadic investigation of shy children's behavioral and affective responses to delivering a speech.

Shyness is typically associated with avoidant social behavior and restricted affect in new social situations. However, we know considerably less about how one child's shyness influences another child's behavior and affect in new social situations. Children's shyness was parent-reported when children were age 3 (N=105, 52 girls, Mage=3.50 years), and children were tested approximately 1 year later (Mage=4.76 years) in same-gender dyads where they were asked to give an impromptu speech about their most recent birthday in front of an experimenter and the other member of the dyad. We examined whether children's shyness and speech order influenced their own and their social partner's observed behavior and affect during the speech. Regardless of speech order, children's own shyness was positively associated with their own avoidant social behavior and gaze aversion. Regardless of shyness, children who gave their speech second averted their gaze more than children who gave their speech first. We also found that children who gave their speech second displayed less positive affect if their social partner who they watched give the speech first was shyer. We speculate that some 4-year-old children may be sensitive to the avoidant behaviors of their shy peers and, in turn, respond with less animation when it is their turn to participate in the same activity. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: We examined whether preschool children's shyness and speech order influenced their own and their social partner's observed behavior and affect during a dyadic speech task Children's own shyness was positively associated with their own avoidant social behavior and gaze aversion Children who gave their speech second averted their gaze more than children who gave their speech first. Children who gave their speech second displayed less positive affect if their social partner who they watched give a speech first was shyer These findings suggest that preschool-aged children are sensitive to learning about their environment indirectly through social observation.

Latent profiles of infant negative affect and respiratory sinus arrhythmia during the still‐face paradigm: The role of maternal sensitivity

AbstractWe examined if there were profiles of infants' behavioural and physiological responses during the still‐face and if these profiles were predicted by maternal sensitivity. Participants included 230 mothers (40.4% non‐white) and their 2‐month‐old infants (48.7% female). Three profiles were identified: continually increasing negative affect and decreasing respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) (17.39%); modest, classic still‐face effect for negative affect and RSA (64.35%); high negative affect, late decreasing RSA (18.26%). Infants of highly sensitive mothers were more likely to be in the modest, classic still‐face effect for negative affect and RSA profile than in the continually increasing negative affect and decreasing RSA and the high negative affect, late decreasing RSA profiles. Additionally, infants of mothers who were high in maternal sensitivity were more likely to be in the continually increasing negative affect and decreasing RSA profile compared to the high negative affect, late decreasing RSA profile. The findings demonstrate heterogeneity in infant responses and that maternal sensitivity is an important predictor of children's behavioural and physiological responses to stressors.

Effect of Benson's relaxation technique versus music intervention on physiological parameters and stress of children with thalassemia during blood transfusions: A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundChildren with thalassemia are generally dependent on blood transfusions and face a lot of stress and alteration in their physiological parameters through the procedure. AimThis study aimed to investigate the effect of Benson's relaxation technique versus music intervention on physiological parameters and stress of children with thalassemia during blood transfusions. DesignA randomized, controlled trial with three parallel groups. MethodsOne hundred and twenty preschool-age children with thalassemia who underwent blood transfusions were randomly assigned to three groups. Children of the control group received only routine hospital care through blood transfusions. Music intervention group children listened to recorded Mozart's music and children of Benson's relaxation group received relaxation intervention before and during the blood transfusions. Outcome measures were physiological parameters and behavioral distress levels. SettingHematology outpatient clinic of the Children's University Hospital at El-Shatby in Alexandria from October 2022 to February 2023. ResultsThe mean total score of children's behavioral responses to stress before the blood transfusions procedure was 19.32 ± 4.08, 14.20 ± 0.93, and 16.92 ± 4.74 in the control, music, and Benson groups, respectively. Beyond that, there was a decline in their physiological parameters and behavioral stress response during and after procedure among groups of study (P = 0.005 & <0.001, respectively). ConclusionMusic and Benson's relaxation interventions had a helpful effect on stabilizing the physiological parameters and reducing behavioral distress levels in children with thalassemia undergoing blood transfusions. Practice implicationsThis study directs paediatric nurses to apply Benson's relaxation and music interventions for children with thalassemia to enhance their responses.

Effects of In-Store Decorative Elements on Children Shopping Behaviour

Children play a significant role in determining the family's shopping expenses, which is as important as an adult's. However, the research found that having a child companion can reduce positive shopping values due to the child's behaviour. The focus of this research is to understand the effects of in-store decorative elements on children aged between three to seven years of shopping experience. The qualitative methodology using ethnography studies is employed to identify key factors affecting children's emotional and behavioural responses. It also discusses research insight that could help to improve business strategy for children customers. Keywords: Children's shopping experience; shopping atmospheric variables; in-store decorative elements; ethnography studies. eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning &amp; Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7iSI7%20(Special%20Issue).3759

The relationship between nitrous oxide sedation and psychosocial factors in the pediatric outpatient setting.

Moderate sedation using nitrous oxide (N2 O) has become common in pediatric dentistry. However, less is known regarding the role of patients' characteristics and psychosocial factors in their cooperative behavior during dental procedures with N2 O. This study aimed to examine pediatric dental patients' behaviors while undergoing N2 O sedation and to measure the associations between child's cooperative behavior and demographic, physiological responses, and psychosocial factors. In this within-subject observational study, participants received 40% N2 O/O2 , by nasal hood, for non-surgical dental procedures. The main outcome measure was the extent of cooperative behaviors, as assessed by the Frankl scale at five timepoints, namely T1: pre-administration of N2 O, T2: post-administration of N2 O, T3: dental injection, T4: dental treatment, and T5: post-procedure administration of 100% O2 . Predictors included age, sex, psychosocial factors reported using the Parenting Style and Dimension Questionnaire and Spence Children Anxiety Scale, as well as pulse rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and generalized estimation equation were used for data analyses. In 80 children with a mean age of 7.2 (2.2) years, administration of N2 O was significantly associated with cooperative behaviors (odds ratio [OR]:2.62, confidence interval [CI]: 1.46-4.70, p=.001) when adjusted for other predictors. There was no interaction between any of the predictors and N2 O sedation on behaviors. Except for the authoritative parenting style (OR: 1.96, CI: 1.16-3.31, p=.012), which predicted more cooperative behaviors, other predictors were not associated with behavioral outcomes. In children sedated with N2 O, behavior was independent of the child's demographic and psychosocial factors. While sedated, demographics, vital signs, and anxiety did not contribute to behavior management. However, screening for parenting style may help predict the child's behavioral response.

SENSORY-INTEGRATION THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES

In recent years, sensory-integration therapy has emerged as one of the most popular treatments for aggressive behavior in children with different disorders. This article is devoted to an experimental study aimed at determining the effects of sensory-integration therapy on the aggressive behavior of children with multiple disabilities. Eighteen children participated in the study. The registration of the children's behavioral responses for 24 consecutive school days allowed the collection of evidence in support of the thesis in the study. The individual child’s frequency of aggressive behaviors in four domains was recording on 12 days while undergoing sensory-integrative therapy and 12 days without a treatment with sensory-integrative techniques. The following methods were used in the analysis of the results: Paired samples t-tests to test the four null hypotheses, a Shaprio-Wilk test for the assumption of normality, Cohen's d to determine the effect size attributable to the therapy, and descriptive statistics for the dependent variables. The statistical results indicated a high level of significance for the three variables: aggression towards property, physical aggression, and aggression toward self. The obtained average values for the three modules are evidence for the positive effects of the sensory-based therapy in children with emotional and behavioral problems. The fourth variable, verbal aggression did not show a statistically significant difference between the mean values before and after the sensory-based intervention.

Family Members' Perceptions of Their Psychological Responses One Year Following Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Hospitalization: Qualitative Findings From the Caring Intensively Study.

Introduction: PICU hospitalization can have a profound impact on child survivors and their families. There is limited research on children's long-term recovery within the context of the family following critical illness. This study aimed to explore children's and parents' perceptions of long-term psychological and behavioral responses within the context of the family one year following PICU hospitalization.Materials and Methods: Caring Intensively is a mixed methods multi-site prospective cohort study that aims to examine children's psychological and behavioral responses over a 3-year period following PICU hospitalization. In this study, part of the qualitative arm of Caring Intensively, an interpretive descriptive design was used to explore children's recovery one year post-discharge. Purposive sampling was used to select 17 families, including 16 mothers, 6 fathers, and 9 children. Semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed iteratively using the constant comparison method.Results: Families described efforts to readapt to routine life and find a new normal following PICU hospitalization. Finding a New Normal consisted of four major themes: (1) Processing PICU Reminders and Memories, (2) Changing Perceptions of Health and Illness, (3) We Are Not the Same, and (4) Altered Relationships. Participants described significant emotional and behavioral changes during the year following discharge. The psychological impact of individual family members' experiences led to changes in their sense of self, which affected family dynamics. PICU memories and reminders impacted participants' perceptions of childhood health and illness and resulted in increased vigilance. Parents and siblings demonstrated increased concern for the child survivor's health, and the experience of long absences and new or altered caregiving roles resulted in changes in relationships and family dynamics.Conclusion: PICU hospitalization impacted the psychological well-being of all family members as they sought to re-establish a sense of normalcy one year following discharge. Parent and child experiences and responses were closely interconnected. Findings highlight the importance of increased follow-up care aimed at supporting the family's psychological recovery.

Effectiveness of the use of threats in communication with children (aged from 8 to 12)

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the ability of threatening communication to favorably modify children’s preventive behavior (8–12 years old) in the context of dental hygiene. It also seeks to identify the type of threat that promotes the most children's persuasion (physical/social threat). Multi-method qualitative study was conducted followed by an experimental study to test the influence of threatening communication (social or physical) on children's emotional, cognitive and behavioral responses.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. First, multi-method qualitative study was used to explore the experience of children's exposure to threatening dental hygiene communications (focus groups, projective technique, individual interviews with dentists, etc.). Then, an experimental study based on a survey data collection to 1496 schoolchildren was conducted to test the influence of threatening communications (social or physical) on children's emotional, cognitive and behavioral responses. Indeed, different experimental situations were created by varying at each time the type of ads to which children were exposed.FindingsResults indicate that using threat communications can be a powerful way to convince children to adopt healthy dental hygiene behaviour, and that physical threats are more effective than social threats.Originality/valueThe originality of this study is to focus on children’s’ affective and cognitive reactions to threatening dental health communication. This by emphasizing the nature of the threat used in communication (physical or social threat).

Those in the shadow of the pandemic: impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on the mental health of children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their parents

This study aimed to investigate the emotional and behavioral responses of children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their parents during the recent novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the associated factors. Our study included 299 children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders and 299 mothers or fathers. Participant groups were as follows: autism spectrum disorder (n = 131, 43.8%); intellectual disability (n = 103, 34.4%); specific learning disorder (n = 46, 15.4%); and communication disorder (n = 19, 6.4%). A data form was created to investigate the emotional, behavioral, sleep problems, and appetite changes of the cases, and it was adapted for online application and conveyed to the parents in the form of emails. Our study indicated that children and adolescents’ emotional problems were 44.5%, behavioral problems 33.4%, sleep problems 65.2%, and appetite problems 32.4%. Irritability (35.5%), hyperactivity (37.8%), stereotyped behavior (29.8%), delayed sleep phase (51.5%) were the most common problems reported by the parents. The frequencies of emotional and behavioral problems in the ASD group were higher than in the other groups (p < .05). In addition, the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) was used to determine the parents’ anxiety and depression symptoms. Mean HADS anxiety and depression scores of parents were 8.5 ± 4.3 and 7.8 ± 4.2, respectively. Our study demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown negatively affected children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their parents in many areas. It is necessary that these children and their families are evaluated and supported by local professionals, as the ongoing pandemic can exacerbate the current challenges. The findings of our study reflect the early period of the pandemic. For this reason, longitudinal studies about the long-term consequences of the pandemic are needed.

Effect of Active Distraction on Children’s Pain and Behavioral Response during Intravenous Catheter Insertion

ABSTRACT Background Relief of pain and suffering is an important responsibility of nurses caring for children, and intravenous cannula insertions is the most common sources of pain in hospitalized children. Distraction is recommended to help in minimizing the discomfort of painful procedures. The aim of the study is to examine the effects of pressing a soft ball on children’s behavioral response and pain level during and after intravenous catheter insertion. Methods: Research design Quasi-experimental design was used. Setting: The study was conducted at surgical ward at pediatric hospital, Zagazig university hospitals. Sample: A convenient sample of 100 children aged 4–10 years. Tools: Four tools were used to collect the study data: (I): Demographic data (child’s age, gender, birth order and cause of surgery). (II): Vital signs sheet (heart rate and respiratory rate) measured before and after intravenous cannula insertion in both intervention and control groups. (III): Behavioral response scale “FLACC” included five criteria (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability). (IV): Wong–Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (WBFPS) to assess children’s pain. Findings: After performing the procedure 46% of intervention group experienced moderate pain, compared to 56% of the control group. Statistically significant correlation between children behavioral response and pain score in both intervention and control groups (P = 0.001, P = 0.01) respectively. Highly statistically significant correlation between respiratory rate after intervention and children face rating scale in intervention group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: the study concluded that pressing a soft ball is an effective and easily accessible technique to decrease pain during IVCI in children between 4 years and 10 years. Practice implication: The results have implication for how health care professionals should implement distraction techniques to relieve children’s pain during painful invasive procedures such as IVCI.

Roles of culture and COMT Val58Met gene on neural basis of executive function: A comparison between Japanese and American children.

The development of executive functions (EF) is shaped by both genetic and environmental factors, including cultural background. Genetically, variation in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphism has been linked to EF performance and differential regulation of prefrontal cortex activity. Based on the gene-culture interaction framework, we tested whether culture would moderate the association between the COMT gene and young children's behavioral responses and neural activities during a cognitive-shifting EF task. The children who participated in this study were 5- to 6-year-olds in Japan (n=44) and in the U.S. (n=47). The results revealed that U.S.-American children exhibited stronger activations than Japanese children in the right dorsolateral and bilateral prefrontal cortex regions. In addition, the children's genetic disposition and EF performance were marginally moderated by culture, with Val homozygote Japanese children performing better than Met-allele carriers, whereas no such differences were found in U.S.-American children. We have discussed the theoretical and empirical implications of the construction of a more complete understanding of EF development by incorporating both genetic and socio-cultural factors.

A Pilot Study of Responses to Interparental Conflict in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Research supports that parents of children with ASD experience higher rates of marital conflict compared to parents of neurotypically developing (NT) children; however, no known research examining reactions to interparental conflict in children with ASD exists. This study compared emotional, behavioral, and physiological responses to interparental conflict in ASD (n = 21) and NT children (n = 29). Children were presented with videotaped interactions (constructive vs. destructive conflict) of actors and their reactions were measured. Children with ASD reported higher levels of negative emotions following constructive conflict compared to NT children. Parents of children with ASD rated their child's emotional and behavioral responses to interparental conflict more negatively than parents of NT children. Comparable levels of physiological reactivity were found across both groups.

Behavioral changes in preterm children during nasogastric tube feeding. Comparative study of manual administration by parents versus mechanical administration via electric syringe pump

IntroductionManual feeding by parents using a syringe, a widespread practice in Sweden since the 1980s, favors parents' involvement in childcare tasks. This approach is used in our neonatal unity since 2007. ObjectiveTo study the behavioral changes of preterm children during nasogastric tube feeding: manual milk administration by parents (MAP) versus electric syringe administration (ESA) over a 30-minute period. MethodThis is a randomized, crossover study conducted in the neonatology unit of Toulouse. Preterm children under 33 weeks of age and over 7 days of life were included. A video recording was performed to assess the children's behavioral response, using the Dsilna score. The reviewer was blinded. Results15 preterm children with a median gestational age of 30.1 weeks and a median birth weight of 1.210 g were included from March to October 2012. The facility, environment, and state of alertness of children were similar in both groups. Signs of well-being were significantly more prevalent in the MAP group versus the ESA group (36.2 (±8.0) versus 30.7 (±9.5)), (p = 0.04), particularly “hand-to-mouth, mouth gestures, seeking suction and sucking”. Although not significant, motor withdrawal signs were more apparent and fluctuating in the ESA group. Qualitative analysis of NIDCAP observations confirms this data. ConclusionThere are behavior changes of preterm children during nasogastric tube feeding. This pilot study showed previously undescribed results: MAP is associated with more common well-being signs and could be more widely used in neonatal units.

Children's Response Bias and Identification of Misarticulated Words.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine whether children's identification of misarticulated words as real objects was influenced by an inherent bias toward selecting real objects or whether a change in experimental conditions could impact children's selections.MethodForty preschool children aged 4 years 0 months to 6 years 11 months across 2 experiments heard accurate productions of real words (e.g., “leaf”), misarticulated words (e.g., “weaf” and “yeaf”), and unrelated nonwords (e.g., “geem”). Within the misarticulated words, the commonness of the substitute was controlled to be “common” or “uncommon.” Using the MouseTracker software, children were asked to select between a real object (e.g., a leaf) and a novel object (Experiment 1) or between a real object (e.g., a leaf) and a blank square, which represented a hidden object (Experiment 2).ResultsConsistent with previous findings, children chose real objects significantly more when they heard accurate productions (e.g., “leaf”) than misarticulated productions (e.g., “weaf” or “yeaf”) across both experiments. In misarticulation conditions, real object selections were lower than in the previous study; however, children chose real objects significantly more in the common misarticulation condition than in the uncommon misarticulation condition.ConclusionsThe results of this study are consistent with previous findings. Children's behavioral responses depended upon the task. Despite these differences in the task, children demonstrated ease in integrating variability into their word identification.

Personalized and cued advertising aimed at children

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the effect of personalization of advertising and adding an advertising cue to advertisements on Facebook, on 9-to-13-year-old children’s awareness of selling intent, attitude towards the advertisement (Aad) and word-of-mouth (WOM) intention.Design/methodology/approachA 2 (personalized ad vs non-personalized ad) × 2 (advertising cue vs no advertising cue) between-subjects design was tested among 167 Belgian children aged 9-13 by means of an in-class online experiment.FindingsPersonalization combined with an advertising cue increases the awareness of selling intent but influences neither Aad nor WOM intention. Awareness of selling intent does not affect WOM intention. Personalization does not increase Aad. Aad has a positive effect on WOM intention.Research limitations/implicationsImplementing a clear advertising cue enhances children’s awareness of selling intent of personalized advertising but does not affect behavioral intention. Public policy, the advertising community and the educational system should take these insights into account when developing regulations, ethical advertisements and educational packages to improve children’s understanding and responses to contemporary advertising formats.Originality/valueThe study is the first one to investigate the joint effect of advertising personalization and an advertising cue on awareness of selling intent and on evaluative and behavioral responses of children. Additionally, the role of Aad and awareness of selling intent for the development of WOM intention is explored.

Measurement of external food cue responsiveness in preschool-age children: Preliminary evidence for the use of the external food cue responsiveness scale

BackgroundConditioned eating in response to external food cues may contribute to obesity risk in young children. ObjectivesTo develop a brief, parent-reported scale to measure external food cue responsiveness for preschool-age children. MethodsFocus groups with parents of preschool-age children were conducted to create an initial pool of items reflecting children's behavioral responses to external food cues. Items were included in a nationally-distributed online survey of parents of preschool-age children (n = 456). Factor analysis was used to reduce the initial item pool, the scale's psychometric properties were assessed, and scores were correlated with reported snacking behaviors. ResultsNine items met inclusion criteria in the final scale, which had high internal consistency (alpha = 0.86). Final scores were the mean across the nine items. External food cue responsiveness was greater among children with, versus without, usual TV advertisement exposure. Furthermore, greater external food cue responsiveness mediated the relationship between children's usual TV advertisement exposure and snacking during TV viewing. Findings remained statistically significant when adjusted for food responsiveness as measured with the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire. ConclusionsFindings provide preliminary evidence that external food cue responsiveness is measurable by parental report in preschool-age children.

Children's biobehavioral reactivity to challenge predicts DNA methylation in adolescence and emerging adulthood.

A growing body of research has documented associations between adverse childhood environments and DNA methylation, highlighting epigenetic processes as potential mechanisms through which early external contexts influence health across the life course. The present study tested a complementary hypothesis: indicators of children's early internal, biological, and behavioral responses to stressful challenges may also be linked to stable patterns of DNA methylation later in life. Children's autonomic nervous system reactivity, temperament, and mental health symptoms were prospectively assessed from infancy through early childhood, and principal components analysis (PCA) was applied to derive composites of biological and behavioral reactivity. Buccal epithelial cells were collected from participants at 15 and 18 years of age. Findings revealed an association between early life biobehavioral inhibition/disinhibition and DNA methylation across many genes. Notably, reactive, inhibited children were found to have decreased DNA methylation of the DLX5 and IGF2 genes at both time points, as compared to non‐reactive, disinhibited children. Results of the present study are provisional but suggest that the gene's profile of DNA methylation may constitute a biomarker of normative or potentially pathological differences in reactivity. Overall, findings provide a foundation for future research to explore relations among epigenetic processes and differences in both individual‐level biobehavioral risk and qualities of the early, external childhood environment.

Factors Associated with Psychological Well-being among Parents of a Critically Ill Child in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

A child’s hospitalization in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is a stressful and suffering situation affecting the parents. This correlational study aims to investigate the predicting factors of parents’ psychological well-being with regard to a critically ill child in the PICU. The participants were 100 parents with a child hospitalized in one of the five PICUs of five tertiary hospitals. The research instruments included the Demographic Recording Form, the Child’s Behavioral and Emotional Responses Scale, the Sense of Coherence Scale-Short Form (SOC-13), Thai Version, the Jalowiec Coping Scale (JCS), the Buddhist Belief Questionnaire, the Modified Version of Social Support Questionnaire, Thai Version, and the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, and hierarchical multiple regression. The results of hierarchical multiple regression showed that religious belief, the child's behavioral and emotional responses, sense of coherence, coping, and social support could explain 36 % of the variance in the psychological well-being of parents of a critically ill child. The factors that made significant contributions to the model were religious belief (β = 0.29, p &lt; 0.01), sense of coherence (β = 0.27, p &lt; 0.01), the child’s behavioral and emotional responses (β = -0.24, p &lt; 0.01), social support (β = 0.22, p &lt; 0.05), and coping (β = 0.17, p &lt; 0.05). The results of this study may serve as preliminary information for nurses in planning nursing interventions in order to enhance the psychological well-being of the parents.