# The assessment and predictive factors of posttraumatic stress and growth in mothers of young children with genetic conditions: A protocol for a longitudinal study

## TL;DR

This study explores how mothers of young children with genetic diseases cope with trauma and experience personal growth over time.

## Contribution

The study introduces a longitudinal approach to assess posttraumatic stress and growth in mothers of children with genetic diseases.

## Key findings

- The study will measure posttraumatic stress and growth using validated psychological scales.
- It will identify predictors of posttraumatic growth in these mothers.
- Findings may inform targeted support strategies for affected families.

## Abstract

Diagnosing a child’s disease is a traumatic event that impacts parents’ psychological well-being and mental health and is associated with burden. This protocol of a longitudinal study aims to observe posttraumatic stress levels in mothers of children with a genetic disease. It will also explore posttraumatic growth in these mothers and identify its key predictors.

The project is a sequential study that integrates both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. The study will involve mothers of children aged 0–3 years who have been diagnosed with a genetic disease by a physician specialist before their first birthday. Two measurements will be taken with a 6-month interval between the first and second assessments. The study will use a questionnaire-based approach. The research assessment will be conducted using: the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA), the Kansas Inventory of Parental Perceptions (KIPP), and the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS).

This study may provide valuable insights into how mothers cope with a child’s genetic disease, both from a time perspective and a parental perspective. It could inform the development of targeted support strategies to help mothers manage the challenges of raising a child with a genetic disease, particularly in areas such as crisis intervention or therapy. We hypothesize that improving the mother’s time perspective could improve the mother’s well-being and thus enhance the overall functioning of the family system and support the child’s development.