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Published on: February 5, 2019
Evaluating a family-centred intervention for infant sleep problems
Marga Thome1, Arna Skuladottir
1Faculty of Nursing, University of Iceland, Eirberg, Eiiksgattta 34, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland. marga@hi.is
Insights
A family-centered intervention significantly reduced parental distress, including fatigue, parenting stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, in parents of infants with sleep problems. This intervention proved effective for 83% of parents, normalizing distress levels post-treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Psychology
- Family Health
Background:
- Infant sleep problems are prevalent and linked to maternal depressive symptoms, with limited research on paternal impact.
- Parental distress and childhood sleep issues are interconnected, necessitating recognition in clinical practice and research.
- Understanding the bidirectional relationship between infant sleep and parental well-being is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a family-centered intervention in alleviating parental distress.
- To describe changes in parental distress (fatigue, parenting stress, anxiety, depression) following intervention.
- To assess the impact on both mothers and fathers experiencing infant sleep problems.
Main Methods:
- A quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design was employed.
- 33 infants (6-23 months) and their parents (33 mothers, 30 fathers) hospitalized for sleep problems participated.
- Parental distress was measured using validated scales assessing fatigue, parenting stress, state-anxiety, and depressive symptoms before and two months after intervention.
Main Results:
- Parents reported high distress levels pre-intervention, with no significant gender differences.
- A significant reduction in overall parental distress was observed two months post-intervention.
- Distress levels decreased from psychopathological levels to population norms, with 83% of parents showing improvement.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare professionals should address parental distress associated with infant sleep problems.
- A family-centered intervention delivered by nurses can effectively reduce parental distress.
- Support for parental recovery is essential when managing infant sleep issues.
Aim:
This paper reports a study to describe changes in parents' distress after a family-centred intervention for sleep problems of infants.
Background:
Infant sleep problems are common and are related to depressive symptoms in mothers, but their impact on fathers has rarely been studied. Because childhood sleep problems and parental distress are associated, their interdependence should be recognized in research and in paediatric sleep practice.
Methods:
All children hospitalized for sleep problems in a hospital in Iceland in 1997-1998 and their parents were studied using a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design. The sample consisted of 33 infants (6-23 months of age), 33 mothers and 30 fathers. Parents' distress was assessed before and after treatment with regard to: (1) fatigue and resulting symptom distress; (2) parenting stress; (3) state-anxiety; and (4) depressive symptoms. Infants were treated for a variety of sleep problems by a paediatric nurse. The parents were simultaneously treated for distress by either the paediatric nurse or a specialist, depending on the nature of their problems.
Results:
Mothers and fathers experienced a high degree of distress before the intervention, with no significant difference between them. Two months after the intervention both parents' distress had significantly improved. Parents' degree of distress was at a psychopathological level before the intervention but was reduced to population norms 2 months after the intervention. The paediatric nurse intervention was sufficient to reduce distress for 83% of parents.
Conclusions:
Health care professionals who care for infants with sleep problems should pay attention to the distressed responses of parents and support their recovery. An intervention such as that described here could be used by nurses for this purpose.
