Manifestaciones de angustia en madres con hijos internados en unidad de cuidados intensivos pediátricos.

Abstract

The aim of this research was to analyze mothers' manifestations of angust when their children were hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit by means of an exploratory-descriptive investigation to highlight the need for psychological support in this population. In addition, the experience of maternity in hospital environments and the effects of the latter were analyzed. Expert interviews and the Thematic Apperception Test, semi-structured interviews and focus group with mothers were conducted. It was concluded that distress does exist, and it is expressed at emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioral levels. The experience of maternity in hospital is lived with guilt for the hospitalization of the child and anguish about the possibility of death and the sequelae left by the medical procedures on their children. Hospitalization brings with it fantasies of death, sequelae of illness, anguish when authorizing medical procedures and the economic factor, highlighting the need for psychological support to deal with the aforementioned aspects.