Maternal Stress and Repeated Hospitalizations of Children Who Are Physically Disabled

Findings from research on single, brief hospitalizations of essentially healthy children may not apply to repeatedly hospitalized, disabled children and their parents.

Abstract

A quasi-experimental study (N = 60) found that the degree and nature of the parental stress experienced with repeated hospitalizations of physically disabled children was different from that experienced by a comparison group with nondisabled children. There was more community nurse support among those with lower versus higher stress over repeated hospitalizations. Next, using qualitative methods, parent and nurse groups validated and extended the findings to the issues involved in the chronic and complex source of stress. Thus, implications from research on single, brief hospitalizations of essentially healthy children may not apply to repeatedly hospitalized, disabled children and their parents.