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Updated: Aug 26, 2026
Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
Use of the parenting stress index in mothers of preterm infants
Karen A Thomas1, Michelle T Renaud, Debra Depaul
1Department of Family and Child Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. kthomas@u.washington.edu
Purpose:
This report describes parenting stress experienced by mothers of preterm infants following hospital discharge.
Subjects:
Twenty-nine mothers and their preterm infants were included in the analysis.
Design And Methods:
The study was conducted using a descriptive and exploratory single group design. The analysis included 29 mothers of preterm infants, mean gestational age 33.14 weeks, mean postnatal age 78.59 days, 6 to 10 weeks after discharge. Mothers were administered the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), a 101-item questionnaire that includes a total score and Parent and Child Domains. It also includes the following 13 scales: Adaptability, Acceptability, Demandingness, Mood, Distractibility/Hyperactivity, Reinforces Parent, Depression, Attachment, Restriction of Role, Sense of Competence, Social Isolation, Relationship with Spouse, and Parent Health.
Principal Results:
A high rate of missing items was noted on the PSI. In particular, missing items occurred predominantly in the Child Domain. By following guidelines for scoring the PSI when items are missing, summary scores were calculated for 16 of the 29 participants. Total scores demonstrate the stress experienced by parents of preterm infants. Parent Domain scores were comparable with normative samples; however, Child Domain scores were above the 50th percentile for all child scales.
Conclusions:
Mothers of preterm infants experience stress that is largely attributable to the particular characteristics of low gestation infants. The PSI may provide insight into parenting stress; however, future research should examine missing items more closely.
