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Development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in parents of premature neonates has been recently described. Several source of stress have been hypothesized, however causes of PTDS and emotional reaction of the parents of premature birth hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) remain largely undefined. We demonstrated that alteration of parental role and a history of anxiety have a crucial role in the development of PTSD in the parents of premature neonates. Familiarization with neonatal intensive care unit environment and increasing participation of the parents in the care of neonates during the first weeks of life improves parental role perception. Early involvement of the parents and especially of the mothers in the neonatal care, in particular if the risk of anxiety is consistent, should be considered a primary objective to prevent a PTSD.

WOS: 000410870800004 PubMed ID: 29042878 Objective Stroke is the second most common cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability. Both stroke patients and their family can therefore experience increased traumatic stress level. Methods The participants are close relatives of patients (n=65) who had a first time stroke (CRPWS) hospitalized. A control group (CG) (n=61), who had no history of chronic illness in their family and had at least one traumatic life event experience. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Modified Rankin Scale, Personal Information Form, Life Events Checklist, Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, were used in the study. Results We found no significant association between NIHSS and MRS of patients and traumatic stress level of the family member. The traumatic stress level was significantly higher in the CRPWS group than in the CG group. Traumatic stress level was higher in women than men and was not associated with perceived social support in the CRPWS group. Conclusion The traumatic stress level of the relatives was not associated with the clinical features of the stroke patients. In the early phase, after the diagnosis of stroke, psychological support may be important to prevent CRPWS from PTSD.