Stress among parents of preterm and term infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) hospitalization of an infant serves as a significant stressor for parents. The purpose of this study was to determine whether stress levels differ between preterm and term parents as well as between mothers and fathers when the NICU hospitalization of an infant is experienced. Fifty-three parents completed the Parental Stress Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU). Five two-way ANOVA's were computed in order to compare stress scores for preterm and term parents as well as mothers and fathers on each of the PSS:NICU's four subscales and for the instrument as a whole. No significant differences were found between preterm and term parents or mothers and fathers with regard to stress scores. These findings support the need for neonatal nurses to recognize all parents as being equally at risk for experiencing stress when the NICU hospitalization of an infant is experienced. The development of an individualized plan of care for each parent is imperative if adaptation to the NICU hospitalization is to occur.