Stress and Coping Strategies among Mothers of Neonates in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Background The birth of a baby is a happy moment for parents. When a newborn is admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit due to morbidities, stress provoking for the parents. To overcome stress, parents, especially mothers adopt different types of coping strategies. Objective To assess the stressor and coping strategies adopted by mothers of neonates in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Method This is a cross-sectional, analytical study design conducted in mothers whose neonates were admitted 72 hours prior to data collection in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The study was conducted after the approval received from the Institutional Review Committee-Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences. Consecutive sampling methods was used to select the mothers. Data was collected using Parent Stressor Scale (PSS: NICU) for stress and BRIEF Coping Orientation to Problems Experiences (COPE) Inventory for coping strategies. Four points Likert scale was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, independent t-test and pearson correlation was used to see the correlation between independent and dependent variables. Result Overall stress among mothers is 111.4 ± 9.82 and among which most stressful events is neonates, looks and behaviour 54.4 ± 6.56 followed by parental role 34.10 ± 2.50 and sight and sounds of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 23.06 ± 2.85 respectively. The direction of the relationship is positive between stress and coping strategies in neonates mothers (p < 0.001) in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Conclusion Understanding the stress of mothers and their coping strategies when their neonates admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will help the nurses to plan care for admitted neonates.