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Depression and loneliness among parents of premature infants admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
- S. Kouri, D. Briana, I. Koutelekos, A. Zartaloudi
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 66 / Issue S1 / March 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 July 2023, p. S157
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Introduction
When newborns are born prematurely, it is often necessary to be hospitalized in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). As a result, they are immediately separated from both parents, who experience an intense emotional burden throughout their baby’s hospitalization. Newborns’ entrance in Intensive Care Unit can trigger negative emotions in both parents.
ObjectivesTo assess the feeling of loneliness, depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress of parents with premature infants who are hospitalized in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs).
MethodsOur sample consisted of 251 parents, whose newborn was hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of three hospitals in Athens, the capital of Greece. The data were collected through a questionnaire which included (a) questions related to socio-demographic and clinical data, (b) the Center for Epidemiological Studies-depression scale, (c) the UCLA Loneliness Scale (d) ) the Impact of Event Scale- Revised- Greek version (IES-R-Gr) for the detection of post-traumatic stress.
ResultsThe majority of our sample were women (69.7%) with a mean age of 32.2 years (SD = 15.4 years). Mothers experienced significantly higher scores on each scale, suggesting more symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress as well as a higher sense of loneliness compared to fathers. Parents whose infants were underweight and parents with previous experience of hospitalization in NICU exhibited a statistically significant higher sense of loneliness. 62.6% of parents developed depressive symptoms. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between feeling lonely and the onset of depressive symptoms and a statistically significant negative correlation between psychological support from hospital staff and the appearance of depressive symptomatology. The 60.1% of our participants showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress. The more depressive symptoms the participants exhibited, the more symptoms of avoidance, resuscitation, and overstimulation were noted. The greater the feeling of loneliness, the more symptoms of avoidance the participants exhibited.
ConclusionsEarly detection of depressive symptoms, loneliness and post-traumatic stress in parents whose newborn is hospitalized in NICU is of major importance. Consequently, a systematic and well-organized training of the staff working in NICU should be provided. Specific protocols, as well as individualized interventions should be implemented to manage the needs and feelings of this vulnerable population.
Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Greek teenager patients’ desire for information during the perioperative period
- F. Bakalaki, N. Zavras, P. Perdikaris, C. M. Vassalos, M. Polikandrioti, A. Zartaloudi, I. Koutelekos
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 66 / Issue S1 / March 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 July 2023, p. S679
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Introduction
Admission to hospital is a stress-inducing experience for children. Informing children helps to reduce anxiety according to their developmental stage.
ObjectivesTo explore the associations between Greek teenager patients’ characteristics and their desired information during the perioperative period.
MethodsEighty children (52 boys, 28 girls; median age: 12 years old) admitted for surgery into a large Greek paediatric hospital self-completed a 40-item questionnaire on Children’s Desire for (perioperative) Information (CDI). The respondents’ desire for perioperative information was calculated by summing responses (‘I really have to know’ plus ‘I might want to know’) to all 40 items. Ethical issues were addressed. We used multiple linear regression to explain the relationship between participants’ characteristics (demographic, attitudes, coping strategies) and their desire for information when facing surgery. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically highly significant. SPSS 21.0 was used for statistical analysis.
ResultsThe 40/80 (50%) Greek teenager patients admitted for surgery had a CDI score more than 33 out of 40 score. Their desired perioperative information was positively associated with their fear of surgery [β=0.59; 95%CI:0.10-1.08; t=2.39; p=0.020] as well as their being raised in a single-parent household [β=3.9; 95%CI:0.13-7.65; t=2.06; p=0.043]. Their desire for perioperative information was negatively associated with their missing friend support network [β=-1.10; 95%CI:(-2.12)-(-0.08); t=-2.16; p=0.034]. The revealed statistically significant associations explained almost 30% (R-square=0.29) of Greek teenager patient desire to be informed perioperatively.
ConclusionsThe high CDI score of Greek teenagers facing surgery in paediatric hospitals implies that they have a proven right for perioperative information. Identification of what influences the perioperative information desired by teenager patients would play a vital role in planning effective perioperative intervention programmes.
Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Development and validation of the questionnaire of post-pandemic coping strategies upon life return to normal for teenagers
- F. Maris, E. Charmandari, A. Zartaloudi, M. Polikandrioti, C. M. Vassalos, I. Koutelekos
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 66 / Issue S1 / March 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 July 2023, pp. S150-S151
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Introduction
COVID-19 quarantine affected teenagers’ life as it brought about significant changes in their usual way of life, disrupting every social relationships. Following the lifting of pandemic restrictions, teenagers are urged to deal with the psychological challenges of their return to normality.
ObjectivesTo develop and validate a questionnaire in Greek teenagers to better monitor their coping strategies when returning to normal after pandemic restrictions were dropped.
MethodsOne hundred teenagers (41 boys, 59 girls; median age: 12) from a large provincial Greek town completed an ab initio 15-item questionnaire on post-pandemic coping strategies upon life return to normal for teenagers (PPCSRN-T). The responders specified their level of agreement to each item statement in five points: (1) Strongly disagree; (2) Disagree; (3) Neither agree nor disagree; (4) Agree; (5) Strongly agree. Psychometric properties were analysed. Factor analysis was performed. SPSS.21 was used for all analyses.
ResultsThe optimal two-factor solution explained 66.1% of variance. The initial factors ‘post-pandemic daily life normalcy aspirations’ and ‘post-pandemic family life normalcy aspirations’ were reaffirmed. Item loadings were between 0.52-0.82. Each of the final factors had three items. The items ‘After pandemic restrictions are lifted, I will live an active life’, ‘After pandemic restrictions are lifted, I will make time for exercise’, ‘After pandemic restrictions are lifted, I will meet up with my friends’ represented the final factor ‘post-pandemic daily life normalcy aspirations’. The items ‘After pandemic restrictions are lifted, my family will stick to a normal daily rhythm’, ‘After pandemic restrictions are lifted, I will go on spending time with my parents’, ‘After pandemic restrictions are lifted, I will be grateful for what I will have in my life’ represented the final factor ‘post-pandemic family life normalcy aspirations’. Reliability (Cronbach alpha) for the six-item final scale was 0.62. The intra-class correlation coefficient varied from 0.50-0.73. No ceiling/floor effect was detected.
ConclusionsThe six-item final PPCSRN-T version proved to be a valid and reliable instrument. It would provide paediatric personnel and psychologists information on the as-yet not readily accessible coping strategies of teenagers returning to normality after the pandemic upheaval coming to an end.
Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Dying child and nurses’ mourning
- A. Zartaloudi, C. Lekas, I. Koutelekos, E. Evangelou, E. Kyritsi
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 64 / Issue S1 / April 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 13 August 2021, p. S401
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Introduction
One of the most complex and emotional aspects of nursing is the interaction between the nurse and the dying child. The attitudes of nurses towards death, affect the quality of care.
ObjectivesTo investigate pediatric nurses’ attitudes towards death.
MethodsMethodology: 170 nurses, working in pediatric hospital departments completed a questionnaire which included sociodemographic characteristics and information related to their previous training and clinical experience regarding death issues in general and dying children’s care in particular.
Results68.6% reported that the death of a child affects them very much, while 44.7% of the participants didn’t feel well prepared to manage death issues. Pediatric nurses were greatly affected by children’s death, expressing mainly feelings of sadness (44%), compassion (22%), guilt (22%) and anger (22%). 73% of the sample wished the hospitalized child, died when they were not present. 53.5% had been trained regarding the care of dying patients and the management of death and mourning as part of their curriculum and 21.2% had attended a relative seminar / lecture. The importance of proper and adequate education becomes particularly apparent considering that the majority of our sample either did not feel sufficiently prepared in order to deal with death and mourning, even though more than 70% of our participants had been relatively educated.
ConclusionsThe incorporation of the notions of death and care at end of life in the theoretical and practical fields of nursing will improve the quality of services offered at the end of life for patients and their families.