Shared decision-making, anxiety, and post-traumatic growth among parents in the context of their child's medical care: The moderating role of parental style

Aim: The importance of parents' involvement in their child's medical care has been extensively discussed in the literature, and studies have indicated the need to expand the active role of parents in decision-making processes regarding such care. However, parents' actual wish to be active and informed in this context remains underexplored. The aim of the current study was to explore this gap by investigating the association between parents’ shared decision-making (SDM) experience and their well-being during the course of their child's medical care, with a focus on parents' clinical decision-making style as a possible moderator. Method: A total of 150 parents of children under the age of 18, who utilized various medical care services, participated in the study. Results: Shared decision-making was found to be associated with parents’ anxiety levels during their child's medical treatment, as well as with their post-traumatic growth (PTG). A moderating effect of clinical decision-making style was also found; namely, the relations between SDM, anxiety during the child's treatment, and PTG were different among parents with a passive style than among parents with a shared-active style. Conclusions: The findings emphasize the personalized nature of SDM, suggesting that its benefits are associated with parental preferences and attitudes. Healthcare professionals should assess parents’ actual desire to be involved in SDM in order to tailor services effectively.