Abstract WP406: The Importance of Pediatric Stroke Family Support

Introduction: Insufficient social support has been linked to increased morbidity and mortality within adult medical conditions, including stroke. There is little evidence about the influence of support groups in pediatric stroke survivors and their families. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that pediatric stroke survivors and their families would report several common psychosocial themes surrounding their recovery, and would derive benefit from a structured support group. Methods: Our pediatric stroke support group - associated with a large, regional, pediatric stroke program - was established in 2011. Qualitative and quantitative data from this group were collected via standardized questionnaires during three support group sessions over a 1 year period (2013-14). Data were clustered by survivor, parent, sibling, and other family members. A concurrent triangulation mixed methods approach was used for analysis with a P-value of < 0.05 considered significant. Results: Participants reported primary themes of fear...