Abstract

Children admitted to the ICU witness and undergo a large amount of psychological stress which has a negative impact on not only their lives, but also lives of their families. This study was intended to assess and compare the psychological state of children admitted to the ICU versus that of children admitted in the wards Materials and Methods: A total of 70 children below 12 years of age who got admitted into the ICU during Feb 2023 to Jan 2024, in the Department of Pediatrics, were included in the study as cases. Age and gender matched children who got admitted in the wards during the study period were considered as controls. All patients were subjected to TISS, PRISM, IES-R and Birleson Depression scoring questionnaires. Results: The TISS, PRISM, IES-R and Birleson Depression scores were significantly different in patients who were admitted to PICU than those who were admitted in pediatric ward. Conclusion: Children in the PICU experiences acute psychological stress, which is correlated with the intensity of therapeutic interventions and manifests as the emergence of intrusive thoughts. Future focused therapies for these pediatric patients will be designed with a clearer understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of psychological and psychiatric response

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