PICU Diary Feasibility Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Feasibility study to evaluate the impact of diary-keeping by parents of children admitted to Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) on parental and child Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)symptoms and psychological well-being after PICU discharge
IRAS ID
145959
Contact name
Christine Pierce
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Psychopathology, particularly Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) is increased in children and parents after PICU admission. It is postulated PTSD develops from abnormal processing of trauma memories and poor organisation of autobiographical memory. Parents are key to a child’s psychological recovery; if parents have PTSD symptoms they may be psychologically unavailable to discuss the PICU experience with their child which may impede children from processing the experience in a psychologically healthy way.
Prospective diaries completed by parents during PICU admission may be a simple but powerful tool in reducing PTSD symptoms in parents with positive benefit on their child’s psychological well-being. Diaries are used in some adult ICUs, leading to a reduction in PTSD after discharge. We extrapolate and adapt diary use to PICUs where it may assist parents in constructing a narrative of organised memories, help parents integrate powerful sensory and emotional experiences with contextual understanding, encourage reflective processing through writing in the diary and serve as a form of re-exposure through re-reading, reducing avoidance and encouraging re-appraisal of events.
This pilot study aims to assess the feasibility of the intervention [diary] and the study methodology including the measures [questionnaires and telephone interview].
We focus on families of children under 5 (the greatest majority of PICU admissions),aiming to recruit 20 families over 6 weeks.
Informed consent will be sought from parents after they have received written and verbal information about the study. Participants will be given a diary (bound, coloured notebook) and invited to write about anything that feels important eg events, emotions, sensory experiences.
Follow up at 3 and 6 months will be by means of postal questionnaires for parents and a telephone interview with parents about symptoms of psychopathology in their child.
Outcomes from this feasibility study will be used to inform the methodology for a future randomised controlled trial.REC name
London - Riverside Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0446
Date of REC Opinion
2 Jul 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion