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Cited by 130Infant Development and Preterm CareFamily and Patient Care in Intensive Care UnitsFamily and Disability Support Research

Psychosocial support for parents of extremely preterm infants in neonatal intensive care: a qualitative interview study

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Bry, Anna, Wigert, Helena·2019·BMC Psychology
DOI 10.1186/s40359-019-0354-4PMC PMC6883543
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Abstract

Background: Extremely premature infants (those born before 28 weeks’ gestational age) are highly immature, requiring months of care at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). For parents, their child’s grave medical condition and prolonged hospitalization are stressful and psychologically disruptive. This study aimed at exploring the needs of psychosocial support of parents of extremely premature infants, and how the NICU as an organization and its staff meets or fails to meet these needs. Method: Sixteen open-ended interviews were conducted with 27 parents after their infant’s discharge from the NICU. Inductive content analysis was performed. Results: Four themes were identified: Emotional support (with subthemes Empathic treatment by staff, Other parents as a unique source of support, Unclear roles of the various professions); Feeling able to trust the health care provider; Support in balancing time spent with the infant and other responsibilities; Privacy. Parents of extremely premature infants needed various forms of emotional support at the NICU, including support from staff, professional psychological help and/or companionship with other patients’ parents. Parents were highly variable in their desire to discuss their emotional state with staff. The respective roles of nursing staff, social workers and psychologists in supporting parents emotionally and identifying particularly vulnerable parents appeared unclear. Parents also needed to be able to maintain a solid sense of trust in the NICU and its staff. Poor communication with and among staff, partly due to staff discontinuity, damaged trust. Parents struggled with perceived pressure from staff to be at the hospital more than they could manage and with the limited privacy of the NICU. Conclusions: The complex and individual psychosocial needs of parents of extremely preterm infants present many challenges for the NICU and its staff. Increasing staffing and improving nurses’ competence in addressing psychosocial aspects of neonatal care would help both nurses and families. Clarifying the roles of different professions in supporting parents and developing their teamwork would lessen the burden on nurses. Communicating with parents about their needs and informing them early in their NICU stay about available support would be essential in helping them cope with their infant’s hospitalization.

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References 39 · Cited by 130

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Authors
Bry, A., & Wigert, H.
Affiliations
Sahlgrenska University Hospital (SE)
Corresponding author
Bry, Anna
ORCID
Venue
BMC Psychology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2019-11-29
Volume
7
Issue
1
Pages
76-76
ISSN
2050-7283 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s40359-019-0354-4
PMC
PMC6883543
OpenAlex
W2990171749
Cited by
130
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 4
FWCI
12.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BMC Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Infant Development and Preterm Care
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Radiological and Ultrasound Technology › Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family and Disability Support Research
Keywords
extremely preterm infants, neonatal intensive care, parent stress, emotional support, trust in healthcare providers, nursing staff roles, social workers, psychologists, work-family balance, vulnerable parents, nursing competencies
MeSH terms
Psychosocial Support Systems, Adult, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant Care, Infant, Newborn, Intensive Care Units, Neonatal, Male, Parent-Child Relations, Parents, Intensive Care, Neonatal, Qualitative Research, Kangaroo-Mother Care Method, Infant, Extremely Premature

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