Trauma, growth and coping in parents of children with congenital heart disease : A mixed methods study.

Background: Raising a child with a congenital heart disease (CHD) can be a difficult experience. Posttraumatic stress symptoms have been observed in parents of children with CHD. However, there is little research investigating post traumatic growth (PTG); or the positive changes following trauma, in this population. This study aimed to to explore the experience of parents of a child with CHD as related to the constructs of traumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth. Method: A priority sequence approach was used with a preliminary quantitative survey. This was followed by asynchronous online discussion groups. Parents completed the: Psychological well-being posttraumatic changes questionnaire, Posttraumatic stress disorder checklist 5 and Perceived ability to cope with trauma questionnaire. Thematic analysis was used to analyse discussion group material. Results: Parents reported experiencing symptoms of PTSD; and more than one fifth of parents scored above clinical cut offs for PTSD. The majority of parents reported positive change. Thematic analysis constructed three themes: being a parent of a child with CHD, facing uncertainty and the changes in our lives , which corroborate and extend previous findings. Discussion: The implications of this study’s findings are discussed in the context of previous research and the methodological considerations of the study. Clinical and research implications are also presented.