Parental Stress in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Influential Factors and Vulnerable Subgroups. A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: The hospitalization of a child in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is one of the most stressful life events a family can experience. The critical nature of the illness, the complexity of the hospital environment, and the uncertainty of the prognosis place parents under considerable emotional strain. This study aimed to identify the most influential factors associated with parental stress and psychological distress in the PICU. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional analytical design was employed. Anonymous surveys were administered to assess parental stress and anxiety, along with sociodemographic and clinical variables. Data were collected using the Parental Stressor Scale: Infant Hospitalization (PSSIH) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-42 (DASS-42), both validated in Spanish. Results: The highest-scoring stressor dimension was Images and/or Sounds (M = 2.03, SD = 0.97). Within the DASS-42, the Stress subscale yielded the highest mean score (M = 10.06, SD = 9.34). Significant positive correlations were found between emotional distress and perceived stressors. Inferential analyses indicated that fathers reported higher emotional stress (p = .040); parents without prior PICU experience reported greater clinical stress (p = .049); and participants with low income and limited family support showed significantly higher distress (p < .05). Conclusions: Parental stress in the PICU is a multifactorial phenomenon influenced primarily by sociodemographic characteristics and the clinical dimension of stressors. Identifying vulnerable subgroups—such as fathers, parents with low income, limited social support, or no prior PICU experience—can guide the implementation of targeted psychosocial interventions, thereby reducing the risk of adverse outcomes such as PTSD and improving family coping during the hospitalization process.