Preliminary Validation of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Objective: Research suggests families whose infants are admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experience elevated distress and may have pre-existing risk factors for maladjustment. This study sought to validate the newly developed Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT-NICU/Cardiac Intensive Care Unit [CICU]), a comprehensive screening measure for family psychosocial risk in the NICU.

Methods: The sample included 171 mothers, who completed the PAT-NICU/CICU and other related measures within 2 weeks of their infant's NICU admission at a level 4 unit within a large pediatric hospital.

Parent Perceptions of Infant Symptoms and Suffering and Associations With Distress Among Bereaved Parents in the NICU.

Context: Healthcare providers and parents face many challenges caring for infants at the end of life (EOL). Symptom assessment and management in critically ill infants can be especially difficult. However, the impact of the infant's EOL experience on bereaved parents is largely unknown.

Perceived Infant Well-Being and Self-Reported Distress in Neonatal Nurses.

Background: Infants who are admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may experience significant symptom burden. Parents are often distressed by these symptoms, which can affect their long-term coping and distress. There is limited research examining nurse perceptions of infant well-being (symptoms, suffering, and quality of life [QOL]) and associations with nurse distress.

Long-term trajectories of depression symptoms in mothers of children with cancer.

Objective: To identify trajectories of depression symptoms in mothers of children with cancer from diagnosis/relapse through 5 years and examine maternal factors at diagnosis/relapse predicting membership in these trajectories.

Method: Mothers (n = 327; Mage = 37.6 years, SD = 7.

Healthcare Satisfaction and Unmet Needs Among Bereaved Parents in the NICU.

Background: Learning directly from bereaved parents about their experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can improve services at end-of-life (EOL) care. Parents who perceive that their infant suffered may report less satisfaction with care and may be at greater risk for distress after the death. Despite calls to improve EOL care for children, limited research has examined the EOL experiences of families in the NICU.