Objective:

To evaluate the feasibility of a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) of PICU diaries and their impact on parental PTSD symptoms.

Approach:

• Study Design: Pilot RCT conducted in a university hospital's PICU, with families randomized to an ICU diary intervention group or control group.
• Participants: 149 eligible families were approached, with 104 consenting to participate, resulting in a final sample of 150 parents.
• Data Collection: Parents completed questionnaires at admission, PICU discharge, and six months post-discharge, assessing PTSD symptoms and resilience.

Key Findings:

• Dropout rate until PICU discharge was 4.7%; retention from discharge to 6-month follow-up was 95.5%.
• 12.7% of parents screened positive for suspected PTSD after 6 months.
• Prevalence of suspected PTSD was 14.5% in the intervention group and 11.1% in the control group.
• PTSD rates were higher in mothers (18.5%) compared to fathers (5.8%).
• Parents with suspected PTSD exhibited lower resilience.

Interpretation:

The pilot study indicates that conducting an RCT of ICU diaries in a PICU setting is feasible, with effective recruitment and retention.

Limitations:

• The exploratory nature of findings limits generalizability.
• The small sample size may affect the robustness of PTSD prevalence estimates.
• There may be potential biases in self-reported measures of PTSD and resilience.

Conclusion:

The study provides preliminary insights for future trials on the impact of PICU diaries on parental PTSD symptoms.