Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in parents of children with type 1 diabetes during Covid-19 pandemic.

Carducci C, Rapini N, Deodati A, Pampanini V, Cianfarani S, Schiaffini R

Ital J Pediatr 47 (1) 176 [2021-08-26; online 2021-08-26]

The Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a group of persistent psychological and physiological symptoms due to a traumatic, severe, event. Only few studies focused on the effects of Covid-19 on psychosocial outcomes in children with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and their parents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence PTSD in parents of children with T1D during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. In the period between March and May 2020 we submitted the "Impact of Event Scale - Revised" (IES-R) questionnaire to the parents of 34 children with Type 1 Diabetes, asking them to express their emotions about the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. A total of thirty mothers (mean age 43.0 ± 4.2 years) and 25 fathers (mean age 45.6 ± 5.9 years) participated in the survey and completed the questionnaires. 29.1% of parents had a score that allows to define a clinically relevant level of PTSD; ten mothers and 6 fathers had a PTSD clinically relevant score, corresponding, respectively, to 28.4 and 24% of total mothers and fathers. Finally, mothers and fathers, both express PTSD symptoms mainly in the form of intrusion and hyperarousal. The present study confirms a high prevalence symptoms related to PTSD in mothers and fathers of children with Type 1 Diabetes. We believe that psychosocial outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic should be taken into account in the planning of the next future assistance for children with T1D.

Category: Public Health

Type: Journal article

PubMed 34446073

DOI 10.1186/s13052-021-01126-0

Crossref 10.1186/s13052-021-01126-0

pii: 10.1186/s13052-021-01126-0
pmc: PMC8390018


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