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A Compassion-Focused Approach to Support Parents After Preterm Birth

Teagan M Lloyd-Collins1,2, Grace C Fitzallen3,4, James N Kirby5,3

  • 1School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. teagan.collins@uq.edu.au.

Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review
|October 6, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Parents of preterm infants face significant mental health risks, including depression and anxiety. This review proposes a compassion-focused approach to better support their emotional well-being.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Neonatal Health
  • Mental Health Research

Background:

  • Preterm birth presents global health challenges impacting neonatal outcomes and parental mental health.
  • Parents of preterm infants are at increased risk for postpartum depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
  • Current interventions for parental mental health post-preterm birth are medicalized and infant-focused, lacking emotional support.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine parental experiences and psychological processes following preterm birth.
  • To review existing interventions and propose a novel compassion-focused framework for parental support.
  • To identify future research directions in perinatal mental health.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual review of existing literature.
  • Analysis of psychological experiences and intrapersonal processes in parents of preterm infants.
  • Critical evaluation of current mental health interventions and compassion-based approaches.

Main Results:

  • Parents of preterm infants experience unique psychological challenges.
  • Existing interventions inadequately address the emotional needs of these parents.
  • A compassion-focused framework offers a promising avenue for enhanced support.

Conclusions:

  • There is a critical need for emotionally-focused interventions for parents of preterm infants.
  • A compassion-focused approach can effectively address the psychological needs of parents post-preterm birth.
  • Further research is warranted to develop and evaluate compassion-based interventions in this population.

Keywords:
AnxietyCompassion-focused therapyNICUParentsPostpartum depressionPosttraumatic stress disorderPreterm birthSelf-criticismShame

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