Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms among Siblings of Terminally Ill ‎Children

Enas Nagah Mousa Sayed-Ahmed^1, , Rehab Hassan KafL² and Somaya Elsayed Abou-Abdou³

¹‎Demonstrator of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Suez Canal ‎University, Egypt

²Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Suez Canal University, Egypt

³Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Suez Canal ‎University, Egypt

Cite this paper:
Enas Nagah Mousa Sayed-Ahmed, Rehab Hassan KafL and Somaya Elsayed Abou-Abdou. Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms among Siblings of Terminally Ill ‎Children. American Journal of Nursing Research. 2020; 8(3):372-378. doi: 10.12691/ajnr-8-3-7

Abstract

Background: The sibling relationship is usually the first, most intense, and longest peer relation that an ‎individual will ever have. Therefore, having a brother/sister with terminal illness poses a risk to the siblings' ‎mental health because of the stress they are under and insufficient support from others. Aim: This study aimed ‎to assess post-traumatic stress symptomatology among siblings of terminally ill children in Ismailia city. Design: ‎descriptive design was adopted for this study. Sample: purposeful sample of eighty one siblings of children with ‎terminal illness. Tool of data collection: the data was gathered through structured interview ‎where the tool was divided into two parts: the first part includes: demographic characteristics of the studied ‎subjects and the second part includes: The Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS). Results: All siblings of children ‎with terminal illness in this study have met criteria of post-traumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) with nearly ‎half of them had severe symptoms. Conclusion: siblings of children with terminal illness are at substantial risk ‎for PTSS. Recommendation: Create supporting groups for siblings as an ongoing service where siblings of ‎children with terminal illness have an opportunity to meet with others in a similar situation and share their ‎experiences and feelings.

Keywords:
siblings terminal illness post-traumatic stress symptoms

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