Stress point interventions for parents of children in hospital with chronic conditions reduced stress and improved child and family functioning
Question Can a community based, stress point nursing intervention for parents of children with chronic conditions decrease distress and improve child and family functioning after discharge?
Design
Randomised controlled trial with follow up 2 weeks and 3 months after hospital discharge.
Setting
Children's outpatient clinics in 2 university teaching hospitals and surrounding communities in Ontario, Canada.
Patients
145 children and their families were screened, 111 agreed to participate, and 50 (52% boys) were included in the study. Mean age was 6.2 years (range 1–17 y), mean number of previous hospital admissions was 8.7 (range 2–50), and the mean age of the mothers was 35 years (range 25–56 y). Inclusion criteria were living at home, chronic or physically disabling condition of ≥8 months duration, and being at risk of hospital admission. Follow up was 96%.
Intervention
Randomisation was stratified based on diagnostic categories (neurodevelopmental, musculoskeletal, and other chronic …
