Design. A randomized, controlled trial with follow-
up assessments 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after hospitalization
was conducted with 174 mothers and their 2- to
7-year-old children who were unexpectedly hospitalized
in the pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) of 2 children’s
hospitals. The final sample of 163 mothers ranged
in age from 18 to 52 years, with a mean of 31.2 years.
Among the mothers reporting race/ethnicity, the sample
included 116 white (71.2%), 33 African American (20.3%),
3 Hispanic (1.8%), and 2 Indian (1.2%) mothers. The mean
age of the hospitalized children was 50.3 months. Ninetynine
children (60.7%) were male and 64 (39.3%) were
female. The major reasons for hospitalization were respiratory
problems, accidental trauma, neurologic problems,
and infections. Fifty-seven percent (n 93) of the children
had never been hospitalized overnight, and none
had experienced a previous PICU hospitalization.