Relationship Between Personality of Parents and Pediatric Post-Intensive Care Syndrome for a Family in the PICU: A Prospective, Observational Cohort Pilot Study

Introduction: Post-Intensive Care Syndrome in Pediatrics (PICS-P) for families is a growing concern as receiving care in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) improves child survival. PICU parental stress may cause post-discharge psychiatric symptoms. Understanding personality-related distress is key for early intervention. This study examined whether parental personality traits correlate with such symptoms for PICS-P prevention. Methods: A cohort pilot study was conducted at a Japanese university hospital PICU (eight beds, 200–300 annual admissions, mandatory critical care consultation) between January and September 2022. Participants were parents of children admitted for longer than 1 week. Personality traits were investigated using the Big-Five-based test, and psychiatric symptoms were investigated using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL-5). The correlation between personality traits and psychiatric symptoms was investigated. Results: Among the 53 subjects who met the inclusion criteria, 25 gave consent to participate in this study. The correlation analysis revealed distinct patterns. Agreeableness demonstrated negative correlations: a moderately significant negative correlation with PTSD symptoms (ρ = −0.612, p < 0.05) and non-significant negative correlations with anxiety (ρ = −0.238) and depression (ρ = −0.060). Conversely, neuroticism exhibited positive correlations: a moderately significant positive correlation with anxiety symptoms (ρ = 0.539, p < 0.05), alongside non-significant positive correlations with depression (ρ = 0.318) and PTSD symptoms (ρ = 0.327). Regarding other personality traits, extraversion showed negative correlations with anxiety (ρ = −0.282), depression (ρ = −0.399), and PTSD (ρ = −0.438), conscientiousness displayed positive correlations with anxiety (ρ = 0.318), depression (ρ = 0.127), and PTSD (ρ = 0.467), while openness exhibited negative correlations with anxiety (ρ = −0.333), depression (ρ = −0.312), and PTSD (ρ = −0.309), although none of these associations were statistically significant. Conclusions: Lower levels of agreeableness and higher levels of neuroticism in parents are significantly associated with increased PTSD and anxiety symptoms, respectively, in the PICU setting. These personality traits may serve as predictors of parental psychological distress, suggesting their utility in informing targeted PICS-P interventions and preventative strategies.