A randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of psychoeducation on the quality of life of parents with children with congenital heart defects-Quantitative component

Autores da FMUP

• Marisa Isabel Garcia Rodrigues

  Autor

• Claudia Camila Rodrigues Pereira Dias

  Autor

• Luís Filipe Ribeiro De Azevedo

  Autor

• Pedro Pereira Rodrigues

  Autor

Participantes de fora da FMUP

• Rodrigues, JD
• Moreira, JA
• Clemente, F
• Areias, J.
• Areias, ME

Unidades de investigação

• Ginecologia-Obstetrícia e Pediatria

• Laboratório Associado RISE- Rede de Investigação em Saúde

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

• Medicina da Comunidade, Informação e Decisão em Saúde

• Recursos Comuns

  

  Investigador

  Guilhermina Maria Da Silva Rêgo

• RISE-Health

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

Abstract

PurposeTo develop, implement and assess the results of psychoeducation to improve the QoL of parents with CHD newborns.MethodsParticipants were parents of inpatient newborns with the diagnosis of non-syndromic CHD. We conducted a parallel RCT with an allocation ratio of 1:1 (intervention vs. control), considering the newborns, using mixed methods research. The intervention group received psychoeducation (Parental Psychoeducation in CHD [PPeCHD]) and the usual routines, and the control group received just the regular practices. The allocation concealment was assured. PI was involved in enrolling participants, developing and implementing the intervention, data collection and data analysis. We followed the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines.ResultsParents of eight newborns were allocated to the intervention group (n = 15 parents) and eight to the control group (n = 13 parents). It was performed as an intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. In M2 (4 weeks), the intervention group presented better QoL levels in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains of World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument (WHOQOL-Bref). In M3 (16 weeks), scores in physical and psychological domains maintained a statistically significant difference between the groups.ConclusionsThe PPeCHD, the psychoeducational intervention we developed, positively impacted parental QoL. These results support the initial hypothesis. This study is a fundamental milestone in this research field, adding new essential information to the literature.

Keywords

• congenital heart defects/congenital heart disease; newborns; parents; psychoeducation; quality of life