The Factors Influencing Parental Anxiety in Children Hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

Factors Influencing Parental Anxiety in Children Hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

Abstract

Parental anxiety is a psychological response that often occurs when a child is treated in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The child's critical condition, the intensive care environment, and uncertainty about the prognosis can increase emotional stress in parents. Unresolved anxiety has the potential to affect parents' decision-making and participation in their child's care. This study aims to identify factors that influence parental anxiety in children treated in the PICU. This study used the Literature Review (SLR) method with the PEOS (Population, Exposure, Outcome, Study Design) approach. Article searches were conducted through the

PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and ProQuest databases, accessed through the National Library of Indonesia (Perpusnas RI), using relevant keywords combined with Boolean operators. The article selection process followed the PRISMA guidelines based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 15 primary scientific articles that met the criteria were reviewed and data extraction and analysis were carried out. The study results indicate that factors influencing parental anxiety include the child's clinical condition, length of PICU stay, disease severity, healthcare provider communication, social support, parental demographic characteristics, and the intensive care unit environment. The child's clinical factors and the quality of healthcare provider communication were the most dominant factors influencing parental anxiety levels. The study concludes that parental anxiety in children treated in the PICU is influenced by various multidimensional factors. Therefore, a family-centered care approach is needed to help reduce parental anxiety levels during the child's PICU stay.