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Updated: May 30, 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
Measuring maternal stress and perceived support in 25 Italian NICUs
Rosario Montirosso1, Livio Provenzi, Guido Calciolari
1Centre for the study of social emotional development of the at risk infant, Scientific Institute "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy. rosario.montirosso@bp.lnf.it
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.
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