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Anxiety and depression in parents of sick neonates: a hospital-based study
Li-Ping Kong1, Yan Cui, Yu-Fang Qiu
1School of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Insights
Parents of hospitalized neonates experience high rates of anxiety and depression. Low social support and high stress exacerbate these mental health challenges, necessitating targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Parental mental health
- Psychological stress
Background:
- The perinatal period presents unique emotional challenges for parents.
- Neonatal hospitalization significantly increases psychological stress due to unfamiliarity with the environment and concerns for the infant's well-being.
- Parental negative emotions can impact their mental and physical health, family dynamics, and communication with healthcare providers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in parents with hospitalized neonates.
- To analyze the relationship between parental mental health and factors like stress and social support.
- To inform the development of targeted clinical interventions for this population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study design was employed.
- The psychological status of 600 parents (400 fathers, 200 mothers) was assessed within the first week of neonatal hospitalization.
- Standardized scales were used to measure anxiety, depression, social support, and perceived stress.
Main Results:
- Prevalence rates for anxiety were 20% in fathers and 24% in mothers; for depression, 30.8% in fathers and 35% in mothers.
- Parents of hospitalized neonates exhibited significantly higher anxiety and depression scores compared to the general population (p<0.01).
- Perceived stress and social support levels were identified as key factors influencing parental anxiety and depression.
Conclusions:
- Parents of hospitalized neonates are at a higher risk for negative emotions, including anxiety and depression.
- Inadequate social support was noted, highlighting the need for effective nursing interventions.
- Healthcare professionals must address parental mental health to improve neonatal care and family well-being.
Aims And Objectives:
To investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in parents of hospitalised neonates and to analyse their relationship with other factors such as stress and social support, to provide evidence for targeted clinical interventions.
Background:
The perinatal period, a special susceptibility to negative emotions, is a period that women and their spouses have to face. In this time, the fact that the neonates have to be hospitalised is no doubt a huge psychological stress to their parents. Little understanding of the hospitalisation environment, lacking awareness of neonatal diseases as well as concerns about the neonates' safety, can easily lead to negative emotions in parents. Under the influence of negative mood, parents could become irritable and vulnerable, which may do harm to their physical and mental health, impact family harmony and even result in ineffective communication with doctors, affecting the care of neonates.
Design:
This study applied a cross-sectional study design.
Methods:
The psychological status of 600 parents (400 fathers and 200 mothers) was assessed in the first week of the hospitalisation of neonates, using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depressive Scale, Social Support Rating Scale and Perceived Stress Scale.
Results:
The results of the cross-sectional survey showed that 20% of fathers and 24% of mothers had symptoms of anxiety, while 30.8% of fathers and 35% of mothers had depressive symptoms. The total scores for anxiety and depression in these parents were significantly higher than the normal population (p<0.01). The level of social support and perceived stress were the most important factors relating to parental anxiety and depression.
Conclusion:
Parents of hospitalised neonates are more prone to suffer from negative emotions than normal population. Anxiety and depression are common emotions in these parents. However, the social support they receive is far from satisfactory, so timely and effective nursing interventions are essential.
Relevance To Clinical Practice:
Health professionals should understand the mental health of parents with hospitalised neonates and take measures to reduce their psychological pressure so as to improve their care of the neonates, and help to maintain the harmony and stability of families and the whole society.
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