Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between a flexible parental visiting environment and parental stress in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
Methods The study participants included 60 parents of premature infants in NICUs. Structured questionnaires and interviews, as well as observations by researchers using a caregiving behavior checklist, were used to measure the flexibility of the parental visiting environment and parents' stress levels. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently and were initially analyzed as separate data sets. Data collection extended from March 11, 2018 to June 30. 2018 and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficients.
Results There was a negative correlation (r=-.30, p=.021) between parental stress and the total number of visits in 7 days. We also found that the average duration of each visit and the number of caregiving behaviors performed by parents were positively correlated (r=.73, p<.001).
Conclusion When designing a flexible visiting environment for parents, parents should be encouraged to visit their babies. By doing so, stress can be reduced both for babies and for parents. Therefore, it is suggested that the related polices and regulations in South Korea should be changed to provide more a flexible visiting environment to promote better parent-child attachment and family adjustment.
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Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an empowerment program on maternal stress, anxiety, depression and parenting confidence.
Methods A total of 44 mothers of preterm infants were assigned into an experimental or a control group (n=22 each). The experimental group received the usual nursing care and 7 sessions of an empowerment program. The control group only received the usual care. The program was implemented from June to December, 2016 in the neonatal intensive care unit of K university-affiliated hospital in Daegu, Korea. The outcome variables measured were parental stress (PSS: NICU), anxiety (STAI), depression (CES-D) and parenting confidence. Data were analyzed using t-test or repeated measures ANOVA.
Results Scores for both parental stress (t=3.07 p=.004) and depression (F=3.76, p=.26) were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. However, there were no significant differences in anxiety between the groups (F=0.79, p=.505). Parenting confidence scores (F=9.05, p=.001) were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group.
Conclusion A maternal empowerment program can be an effective means of reducing parental stress and depression as well as enhancing parenting confidence, for mothers of preterm infants.
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