Measuring Maternal Stress and Perceived Support in 25 Italian NICUs

Overview

Journal Acta Paediatr

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2011 Aug 11

PMID 21827551

Citations 37

Authors

Rosario Montirosso

Livio Provenzi

Guido Calciolari

Renato Borgatti

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Aims: To determine the validity and reliability of the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS: NICU) and the Nurse Parental Support Tool (NPST) for use with Italian parents; to investigate to which extent demographic variables and/or situational factors affect NICU-related maternal stress.

Methods: Mothers (N = 156) of very preterm (VPT) infants from 25 Italian NICUs completed a socio-demographic form, the PSS: NICU and the NPST at discharge. Psychometric properties of both tools were evaluated.

Results: High internal consistency and split-half reliability were found for both measures. The multi-dimensional structure of the PSS:NICU was confirmed. Alteration in parental role emerged as the greatest source of NICU-related stress. Length of stay in NICU and familiar socio-economic status explained partial variance in the PSS: NICU scores. NPST score mitigates the stress because of the infant's appearance and behaviour, but not that related to the parental role alteration.

Conclusions: PSS: NICU and NPST demonstrated adequate psychometric properties in a large sample of Italian mothers. The need for a psychologically informed support to NICU mothers is suggested.

Citing Articles

Parental stress and associated factors among parents of preterm neonates admitted at neonatal intensive care unit among selected governmental hospitals Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2022. An institution-based cross-sectional study.

Tilahun B Front Psychiatry. 2024; 15:1377180.

PMID: 39267695 PMC: 11391205. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1377180.

Parental stress, depression, anxiety and participation to care in neonatal intensive care units: results of a prospective study in Italy, Brazil and Tanzania.

Lazzerini M, Barcala Coutinho do Amaral Gomez D, Azzimonti G, Bua J, Brandao Neto W, Brasili L BMJ Paediatr Open. 2024; 8(Suppl 2).

PMID: 39106992 PMC: 11664376. DOI: 10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002539.

Parents' Participation in Care during Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Stay in COVID-19 Era: An Observational Study.

Buccione E, Scarponcini Fornaro D, Pieragostino D, Natale L, DErrico A, Chiavaroli V Nurs Rep. 2024; 14(2):1212-1223.

PMID: 38804425 PMC: 11130904. DOI: 10.3390/nursrep14020092.

Parental stress, depression, anxiety and participation in care in neonatal intensive care unit: a cross-sectional study in Italy comparing mothers versus fathers.

Bua J, Dalena P, Mariani I, Girardelli M, Ermacora M, Manzon U BMJ Paediatr Open. 2024; 8(Suppl 2).

PMID: 38589039 PMC: 11002394. DOI: 10.1136/bmjpo-2023-002429.

Stress, Anxiety, and Postpartum Depression in Parents with Premature Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Kilicli A, Saracoglu G, Cetinkaya Buyukbodur A Florence Nightingale J Nurs. 2023; 31(2):82-90.

PMID: 37404210 PMC: 10440958. DOI: 10.5152/FNJN.2023.22219.