The Take A Breath Research Program (TAB)
The Take A Breath (TAB) research program investigates the prevalence, trajectories and determinants of distress reactions in parents of children (aged 0–18 years) recently diagnosed with a serious childhood illness or injury (SCII), and evaluates an intervention designed to prevent more serious long-term mental health difficulties.
Parental psychological adaption to their child’s SCII has been identified as a significant predictor of child and family psychosocial adjustment both in the short and longer term. A substantive body of descriptive research has established that posttraumatic stress symptoms and other psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety are experienced by a significant subset of parents who have a child with a SCII.
| Study Summary | |
|---|---|
| Study name | The Take A Breath Research Program |
| Study abbreviation | TAB |
| Current principal investigator/s |
Vicki Anderson Frank Muscara Jan Nicholson Meredith Rayner Maria McCarthy Kylie Burke |
| Current project manager |
Frank Muscara |
| Primary Institution/s |
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute - MCRI
|
| Collaborating Institution/s |
The Royal Children’s Hospital - RCH
La Trobe University Parenting Research Centre University of Queensland |
| Major funding source/s |
The Pratt Foundation Department of Health and Human Services The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation - RCHF |
| Study website | https://www.mcri.edu.au/research/projects/take-breath |
| Key reference for study |
|
| Study focus |
Cohort: Investigating the prevalence, trajectories and determinants of parent distress reactions. |
| Sampling frame |
Parents of children admitted to 4 different Royal Children's Hospital (Melbourne, Australia) departments: Oncology, Cardiology, Neurology, and Intensive Care. |
| Primary study type | Longitudinal cohort |
| Primary participant (at recruitment) | Parent/guardian |
| Year commenced |
2011 |
| Is this study ongoing? | No - the study is complete |
| Year study ended | 2017 |
| Ongoing recruitment? | No |
| Sample size (N) |
Cohort: 194; RCT: 231 |
| Survey data available? | Yes |
| Imaging data available? | No |
| Linkage to administrative dataset/s? | Yes, linkage to (at least one) administrative dataset completed |
| Biosamples available? | No |
| Are data available to others outside study team, with appropriate safeguards and structures in line with the cohort’s ethics and governance processes? | No |
| Are there any costs associated with data/sample access for approved requests? | There are usually no costs associated with access |
| Broadest type of participant consent available |
Extended consent (can be used for future ethically approved research related to this project) |
2021
Graj E, Muscara F, Anderson V, Hearps S, McCarthy M. (2021). Quality of life in parents of seriously Ill/injured children: a prospective longitudinal study. Qual Life Res, 30(1), 193 - 202. DOI: 10.1007/s11136-020-02624-0
2020
Currie R, Anderson VA, McCarthy MC, Burke K, Hearps SJ, Muscara F. (2020). Parental distress in response to childhood medical trauma: A mediation model. J Health Psychol, 25(10-11), 1681 - 1691. DOI: 10.1177/1359105318770728
Majmudar IK, Engel L, Muscara F, Stevenson C, McCarthy M, Anderson V, Mihalopoulos C. (2020). Exploring health state utility values of parents of children with a serious illness. Qual Life Res, 29(7), 1947 - 1959. DOI: 10.1007/s11136-020-02466-w
Stokes JR, Muscara F, Zannino D, McCarthy MC, Anderson VA, Nicholson JM, d'Udekem Y. (2020). Surgical and Psychosocial Predictors of Mental Health in Parents of Children With Cardiac Admissions. Ann Thorac Surg, 110(5), 1677 - 1682. DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.01.072
2019
Darling SJ, Hearps SJC, Muscara F, McCarthy M, Nicholson JM, Burke K, Dimovski A, Anderson V. (2019). Psychological trajectories of mothers and fathers following their child's diagnosis of a life-threatening illness or injury: A longitudinal investigation. J Clin Psychol, 75(10), 1930 - 1942. DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22829
2018
Muscara F, McCarthy MC, Hearps SJC, Nicholson JM, Burke K, Dimovski A, Darling S, Rayner M, Anderson VA. (2018). Featured Article: Trajectories of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Parents of Children With a Serious Childhood Illness or Injury. J Pediatr Psychol, 43(10), 1072 - 1082. DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsy035
2017
Muscara F, McCarthy MC, Thompson EJ, Heaney C-M, Hearps SJC, Rayner M, Burke K, Nicholson JM, Anderson VA. (2017). Psychosocial, Demographic, and Illness-Related Factors Associated With Acute Traumatic Stress Responses in Parents of Children With a Serious Illness or Injury. J Trauma Stress, 30(3), 237 - 244. DOI: 10.1002/jts.22193
Thompson EJ, Anderson VA, Hearps SJC, McCarthy MC, Mihalopoulos C, Nicholson JM, Rayner M, Muscara F. (2017). Posttraumatic stress symptom severity and health service utilization in trauma-exposed parents. Health Psychol, 36(8), 779 - 786. DOI: 10.1037/hea0000476
2016
McCarthy MC, Hearps SJC, Muscara F, Anderson VA, Burke K, Hearps SJ, Kazak AE. (2016). Family Psychosocial Risk Screening in Infants and Older Children in the Acute Pediatric Hospital Setting Using the Psychosocial Assessment Tool. J Pediatr Psychol, 41(7), 820 - 829. DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsw055
2015
Muscara F, Burke K, McCarthy MC, Anderson VA, Hearps SJ, Hearps SJ, Dimovski A, Nicholson JM. (2015). Parent distress reactions following a serious illness or injury in their child: a protocol paper for the take a Breath Cohort Study. BMC Psychiatry, 15, 153. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-015-0519-5
Muscara F, McCarthy MC, Woolf C, Hearps SJC, Burke K, Anderson VA. (2015). Early psychological reactions in parents of children with a life threatening illness within a pediatric hospital setting. Eur Psychiatry, 30(5), 555 - 561. DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2014.12.008
2020
Muscara F, McCarthy MC, Rayner M, Nicholson JM, Dimovski A, McMillan L, Hearps SJC, Yamada J, Burke K, Walser R, Anderson VA. (2020). Effect of a Videoconference-Based Online Group Intervention for Traumatic Stress in Parents of Children With Life-threatening Illness: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open, 3(7), e208507. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.8507
2016
Rayner M, Muscara F, Dimovski A, McCarthy MC, Yamada J, Anderson VA, Burke K, Walser R, Nicholson JM. (2016). Take A Breath: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of an online group intervention to reduce traumatic stress in parents of children with a life threatening illness or injury. BMC Psychiatry, 16, 169. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-016-0861-2
| Study Contacts | |
|---|---|
| Principal investigator/s |
Vicki Anderson Frank Muscara Jan Nicholson Meredith Rayner Maria McCarthy Kylie Burke |
| Project manager |
Frank Muscara |
| Study Contact |
Phone: +613 9936 6653 |