TY - JOUR
T1 - “I’ll Be There”
T2 - Informal and Formal Support Systems and Mothers’ Psychological Distress during NICU Hospitalization
AU - Kestler-Peleg, Miri
AU - Stenger, Varda
AU - Lavenda, Osnat
AU - Bendett, Haya
AU - Alhalel-Lederman, Shanee
AU - Maayan-Metzger, Ayala
AU - Strauss, Tzipora
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.
PY - 2022/12/13
Y1 - 2022/12/13
N2 - Mothers of infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are at a high risk for psychological distress, which is of concern to health and social professionals due to the negative implications for mothers and infants. A model for explaining maternal psychological distress, consisting of intolerance to uncertainty and support from informal (spouse, family, and friends) and formal (medical staff) systems was examined. Data was collected from one of the largest NICUs in Israel; 129 mothers of 215 preterm infants completed self-report questionnaires regarding their background variables, intolerance to uncertainty, perceived informal support and perceived medical staff support. The NICU’s medical staff provided indicators for the infants of participating mothers. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted. The examined model explained 29.2% of the variance in maternal psychological distress. Intolerance of uncertainty positively predicted psychological distress. Informal support, and in particular, spousal support negatively predicted psychological distress above and beyond intolerance of uncertainty. Medical staff support negatively predicted psychological distress above and beyond intolerance to uncertainty and informal support. Our findings suggest that maternal psychological distress is reduced through a family-centered care approach in NICUs. Medical professionals and social services should develop further solutions for addressing preterm mothers’ need for certainty and support.
AB - Mothers of infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are at a high risk for psychological distress, which is of concern to health and social professionals due to the negative implications for mothers and infants. A model for explaining maternal psychological distress, consisting of intolerance to uncertainty and support from informal (spouse, family, and friends) and formal (medical staff) systems was examined. Data was collected from one of the largest NICUs in Israel; 129 mothers of 215 preterm infants completed self-report questionnaires regarding their background variables, intolerance to uncertainty, perceived informal support and perceived medical staff support. The NICU’s medical staff provided indicators for the infants of participating mothers. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted. The examined model explained 29.2% of the variance in maternal psychological distress. Intolerance of uncertainty positively predicted psychological distress. Informal support, and in particular, spousal support negatively predicted psychological distress above and beyond intolerance of uncertainty. Medical staff support negatively predicted psychological distress above and beyond intolerance to uncertainty and informal support. Our findings suggest that maternal psychological distress is reduced through a family-centered care approach in NICUs. Medical professionals and social services should develop further solutions for addressing preterm mothers’ need for certainty and support.
KW - family-centered care
KW - intolerance to uncertainty
KW - medical staff support
KW - neonatal intensive care unit
KW - preterm birth
KW - social support
KW - spousal support
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144725488&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/children9121958
DO - 10.3390/children9121958
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C2 - 36553401
SN - 2227-9067
VL - 9
JO - Children
JF - Children
IS - 12
M1 - 1958
ER -