In:
Frontiers in Pediatrics, Frontiers Media SA, Vol. 9 ( 2021-9-30)
Abstract:
Background: Recent studies reported, during the COVID-19 pandemic, increased mental distress among the general population and among women around the childbirth period. COVID-19 pandemic may undermine the vulnerable well-being of parents in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Objective: Our study aimed to explore whether parental stress, depression, and participation in care in an Italian NICU changed significantly over three periods: pre-pandemic (T 0 ), low (T 1 ), and high COVID-19 incidence (T 2 ). Methods: Enrolled parents were assessed with the Parental Stressor Scale in the NICU (PSS:NICU), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and Index of Parental Participation (IPP). Stress was the study primary outcome. A sample of 108 parents, 34 for each time period, was estimated to be adequate to detect a difference in PSS:NICU stress occurrence level score (SOL) of 1.25 points between time periods. To estimate score differences among the three study periods a non-parametric analysis was performed. Correlation among scores was assessed with Spearman rank coefficient. Results: Overall, 152 parents were included in the study (62 in T 0 , 56 in T 1 , and 34 in T 2 ). No significant differences in the median PSS:NICU, EPDS, and IPP scores were observed over the three periods, except for a slight increase in the PSS:NICU parental role sub-score in T 2 (T 0 3.3 [2.3–4.1] vs. T 2 3.9 [3.1–4.3]; p = 0.038). In particular, the question regarding the separation from the infant resulted the most stressful aspect during T 2 (T 0 4.0 [4.0–5.0] vs. T 2 5.0 [4.0–5.0], p = 0.008). The correlation between participation and stress scores ( r = 0.19–022), and between participation and depression scores ( r = 0.27) were weak, while among depression and stress, a moderate positive correlation was found ( r = 0.45–0.48). Conclusions: This study suggests that parental stress and depression may be contained during the COVID-19 pandemic, while participation may be ensured.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2296-2360
DOI:
10.3389/fped.2021.737089
DOI:
10.3389/fped.2021.737089.s001
Language:
Unknown
Publisher:
Frontiers Media SA
Publication Date:
2021
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2711999-3
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