Stress and family satisfaction in parents of children with facial port-wine stains

A cross-sectional survey was employed to assess parenting stress, family sa tisfaction, and parental concerns and to determine predictors of stress in parents of children with port-wine stains (PWSs). The participants were 46 parents of 24 children receiving treatment with pulsed dye laser photocoagu lation for facial PWS at an outpatient dermatology clinic based at a univer sity medical center. Outcome measures used were self-report instruments ass essing psychosocial adjustment (Parenting Stress Index, Family Satisfaction Scale, and Parental Concerns Questionnaire). As a group, parents scored in the average range on the stress and family satisfaction measures when comp ared with a normative sample; five parents (11%) scored in the clinical ran ge for stress. Forty-nine percent of the variance in parenting stress was a ccounted for by four variables: the child's age (beta = 0.34; p = 0.031), t he parents' degree of family satisfaction (beta = -0.27; p = 0.077), the le vel of parental concern regarding the child's facial PWS (beta = 0.45; p = 0.005), and the parents' satisfaction with staff communication (beta = -0.5 1; p = 0.002). The data suggest that while, as a group, parents of children with a facial PWS report to be in the average range for psychological stre ss, some do not fare as well as others. Factors associated with lower stres s include younger children, more family cohesion and adaptation, fewer pare ntal concerns, and greater satisfaction with parent-staff communication. Th e potential for the development of medical complications and psychological problems over time suggests the need for treatment of the PWS at an early a ge. Health care providers should be prepared to screen for clinical levels of distress and to refer parents for psychological intervention when needed .