Child illness and parental mental health and well-being

Section A: This report aimed to provide an updated review of the literature on parent sleep in the context of having a child with a physical illness. It focused on psychological factors that may explain sleep difficulties and explores potential consequences of sleep disturbance. A systematic search of four databases yielded 36 studies that were eligible for review. Studies showed a high proportion of parents experiencing sleep disruptions and explored the relationship between parent sleep and mental health. Factors associated with sleep disruption included child illness-related factors, environmental and social factors.

Section B: Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD) occurs when symptoms of reflux require medical intervention. Parents whose infants experience some of the symptoms of GORD are at risk of poorer mental health. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of mental health difficulties in this population, to test predictors of parental mental health, and to explore differences between different types of GORD. Participants reported significantly higher rates of anxiety and depression than those found in perinatal or general population samples. Results provided support for the predictive power of self-compassion, illness perceptions and illness uncertainty, above and beyond parent satisfaction with sleep, social and relationship support and infant feeding.