Trust in Physicians, Anxiety and Depression, and Decision-Making Preferences among Parents of Children with Serious Illness

To assess parental decision-making preferences when caring for a child with serious illness and to evaluate for an association between preferences and parental trust in physicians, and potential modification of this association by parental anxiety or depression. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 200 parents of 158 children in the United States who had life-threatening illnesses and whose attending physicians thought that the parents would have to make major medical decision in the next 12 to 24 months. Parents completed measures of decision-making preferences, trust in physicians, anxiety, and depression. Higher reported levels of trust were associated with lower preferences for autonomous decision making (Spearman correlation = -0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.36 to -0.01;