UNPLANNED HOSPITALIZATION OF A CHILD: MOTHER AND FATHER PERCEPTIONS OF STRESS, FAMILY LIFE EVENTS, AND COPING RESOURCES.
Contributors: Boston University.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 151
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the patterns of relationships between mothers' perceptions of the stressfulness of unplanned hospitalization of the child, fathers' perceptions of the stressfulness, family life events and coping resources of mothers and fathers. Family stress (adaptation) theory and family systems theory provided the framework for this study. A non-probability, convenience sample of 47 sets of parents of children hospitalized with a short term, acute care condition was obtained from three pediatric departments of teaching hospitals. The children were between the ages of one year and 12 years and represented four categories of diagnoses: (1) traumatic injury due to motor vehicles and play equipment; (2) severe bacterial and viral infection; (3) ruptured appendix; (4) other conditions. Instruments completed by the parents included a perceived stress scale, the Coping Health Inventory For Parents, the Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes and a demographic questionnaire. A model was proposed linking the stress variables to the coping variables. Four hypotheses were tested. Descriptive statistics were obtained and the hypotheses tested with multiple regression using two stage least squares. The perceived stress of their child's hospitalization as very stressful to extremely stressful was reported by 68% of the mothers and 66% of the fathers. None of the hypotheses was supported. There were significant correlations between mother's stress, father's stress, and family life events and between mother's coping and father's coping. However, the predicted linkages in the model between the stress variables and the coping variables did not occur. There was no important correlation of demographic variables with model variables. Suggestions for further research were given and implications for research, practice and education were discussed.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-04, Section: B, page: 1005.

Thesis (D.N.SC.)--BOSTON UNIVERSITY, 1987.

School code: 0017.