The effect of narrative writing on fathers' stress in neonatal intensive care settings

Objective: This study was conducted to examine the effect of narrative writing on fathers' stress in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) during infants' hospitalization.Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted among two groups of fathers with preterm infants in the NICUs of two teaching hospitals of Gorgan University of Medical Sciences. Pre- and post-tests were administered to a sample size of 70 during 6 months. The Parental Stressor Scale (PSS) was used. The data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical methods.Results: The mean total stress score was 74.05 ± 17.39 in the control and 80.11 ± 15.82 in the intervention group on the 3rd day, suggesting no significant difference. In other words, both groups had a similar stress level before the intervention (p-value = .13, t = 1.52). However, the mean total stress score was 85.45 ± 16.91 in the control group and 48.00 ± 10.49 in the intervention group on the 10th day, suggesting a significant reduction in the stress level in the intervention group following the intervention (p-value = .001, t = -11.01).Conclusion: According to the findings, the narrative writing may be considered as an efficient supportive intervention to reduce the fathers' stress in the NICUs. However, more research is needed to justify its implementation.