Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Optimising parental self-efficacy in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and its implications on child care and

Tina C Montreuil1,2,3,4,5, Chloé Gratton6, Kimia Mir-Shokraei7

  • 1Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University Faculty of Education, Montreal, Quebec, Canada tina.montreuil@mcgill.ca.

BMJ Open
|May 26, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Enhancing parental self-efficacy in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is key for parent engagement and improved infant outcomes. Higher self-efficacy is linked to better parental well-being and collaboration with healthcare providers.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care
  • Parental mental health and well-being
  • Family-centered care models

Background:

  • Parenting in the NICU is stressful, impacting parental confidence and infant care involvement.
  • Enhancing parental self-efficacy is crucial for active engagement and positive child outcomes.
  • Identifying psychosocial needs of NICU parents is vital for effective support.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify psychosocial needs (emotion regulation, stress management) of NICU parents.
  • To examine factors influencing parental engagement in infant care.
  • To determine if higher parental self-efficacy correlates with greater engagement, collaboration with healthcare providers (HCPs), and shorter NICU stays.

Main Methods:

  • Mixed-methods study at a Level III NICU in Quebec, Canada.
  • Parents completed questionnaires on engagement, self-efficacy, attachment, mental health, stress, and social support.
  • Qualitative interviews with parents and HCPs analyzed thematically; statistical analyses performed using RStudio.

Main Results:

  • Higher parental self-efficacy is anticipated to correlate with parental well-being and increased caregiving engagement.
  • Anticipated findings include improved communication with NICU staff and enhanced parent-infant bonding.
  • Study aims to identify factors strongly associated with parental engagement and interactions with the clinical team.

Conclusions:

  • Findings will inform clinical strategies to enhance parental engagement and self-efficacy in the NICU.
  • Potential to improve neonatal outcomes, parental mental health, and advance family-centered care policies.
  • Insights can guide interventions to empower parents, optimize discharge, and reduce provider burden.
Abstract

Keywords:
HealthMENTAL HEALTHNeonatal intensive & critical careParents

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