Related Experiment Videos
Fathers' Stress in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review
Paula M Prouhet1, Mary R Gregory, Cynthia L Russell
1College of Nursing, University of Missouri-St Louis (Ms Prouhet); Developmental and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri (Ms Gregory); School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Missouri-Kansas City (Dr Russell); and St Louis Children's Hospital Medical Library, St Louis, Missouri (Ms Yaeger).
Background:
Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is stressful for parents. Nurses often focus on maternal well-being and fail to acknowledge the stress of fathers. Research on fathers' psychological stress is limited.
Purpose:
A systematic review of the literature was completed to examine the extent of psychological stress and types of stressors in fathers with infants admitted to the NICU.
Methods/Search Strategy:
A search of Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and EMBASE was conducted to identify descriptive and observational studies reporting father-specific stress in the NICU. Studies using observational and descriptive designs, published in English, and reporting father-specific stress outcomes during a NICU admission were eligible for inclusion. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines were used for quality assessment.
Results:
Fifteen studies met inclusion criteria. Fathers find the NICU environment stressful and are more stressed than fathers of full-term, healthy infants. Parental role alteration, infant appearance, NICU environment, and staff communication are stressors.
Implications For Practice/Research:
By recognizing the extent and types of psychological stress in fathers, nurses can provide better support for fathers in their new role. Younger fathers and those with very low birth-weight premature infants may need additional support and resources. Future research on fathers' stress should include larger sample sizes, diverse populations, and tool development and evaluation.