Psychiatric support for mothers in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

This study describes mental health treatment and follow-up for mothers of infants in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Data were collected retrospectively about 204 mothers referred to a Level 3 NICU Psychiatric Consult Liaison Team over 2 years. This included medical, demographic and treatment information about both mother and infant.

Most mothers (69%) were referred within a week of birth, and 100 (49%) of the referred mothers received a psychiatric diagnosis. Psychiatric follow-up was recommended for 13% on leaving the NICU and additional follow-up referrals were made for another 16%. Mothers with more than one initial reason for referral, a past psychiatric history, receiving therapeutic services, receiving a psychiatric diagnosis and receiving pharmacotherapy were all significantly more likely to have follow-up recommended on discharge.

Approximately one-sixth of mothers in the NICU were referred, a large proportion received a psychiatric diagnosis, and over a quarter required follow-up after discharge, indicating the importance of the service.