Parental distress following pediatric burn injuries: a systematic review of 33 years of research.
Martim Santos, Ana Ferraz, M Graça Pereira
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review synthesised research on predictors and consequences of parental psychological distress after paediatric burn injuries. Searches of Web of Science, PubMed, and PsycINFO through November 2021 identified 38 articles; 14 were longitudinal, and most studies were rated fair quality. Parental distress was associated with parent, child, family, psychosocial, sociodemographic, and burn-related factors. Initial distress strongly predicted longer-term distress, while parental distress was a potential risk factor for children’s traumatic symptoms, behaviour problems, and poorer health outcomes. Distress symptoms generally decreased over time, and mothers were reported as most affected.
Key findings
- Of 38 included articles, 14 were longitudinal; most studies were judged to be of fair methodological quality.
- Initial parental distress was considered a strong predictor of distress over the longer term.
- Parental distress was a potential risk factor for children’s traumatic symptoms, behaviour problems, and poorer health outcomes, including quality of life.
- Most parental distress symptoms decreased over time; mothers were reported as the most affected.
Why it matters
The review highlights that a child’s burn injury can have psychological consequences for parents as well as for the child, and that parental distress may relate to children’s later symptoms and health. Recognising distress over time may therefore be relevant to family-centred care, while the largely fair-quality evidence warrants measured interpretation.
What to keep in mind
Only 14 of the 38 included articles were longitudinal, and most studies were of fair quality, limiting confidence about how distress and related outcomes change over time.