A description of stressors and coping strategies among parents of critically ill children—a preliminary study

The purpose of this preliminary study was to describe (1) perceived stressors and (2) coping strategies among parents of critically ill children. Stress and coping within this population has been subjected to little research. The research that has been reported is predominantly quantitative. The validity of this research is unclear. Five parents of children in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) setting were interviewed. They were asked to describe the principal sources of stress (stressors) they encountered and how they dealt with these (coping strategies). The interviews were content analysed. Five categories of stressors were identified. These included parental role conflict, concern for child, environment, friends, and child's siblings. Five categories of coping strategies were identified. These included things you think about, actions directed toward other people, drawing on support from others, things you do, and things you draw on from the environment. The findings of this study have highlighted deficiencies within the existing literature on stress and coping within this population. There is a need for further qualitative research in this area. This will foster the development of a better understanding of the experience of parents for caregivers and provide a foundation for further research.