Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression among Mothers of Newborns Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Gaza Strip

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence and level of anxiety and depression among mothers of newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units in Gaza Strip. Methods: It is a cross-sectional study including 195 mothers who’s their neonates has been admitted to NICU at the three governmental hospitals in Gaza Strip between November 2017 to September 2018. Two psychological tests were applied, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory. Collected data include sociodemographic profile for mother and neonates who include characteristic of mothers, number and types of deliveries, level of education, work status and family income. In addition, characteristics of neonates, gender, gestational age and birth weight, cause of admission and length of stay. Results: The results of our study indicated that 50.8% of mothers have severe to very severe symptoms of anxiety, 38.5% of mothers have severe to very severe symptoms of depression. There was a statistically significant differences in levels of anxiety (p = 0.044) and levels of depression (p = 0.005) among mothers related to hospital. The mothers of preterm and low birth weight babies had higher levels of anxiety (p = 0.010, 0.026), but there were insignificant differences in levels of depression, while there were no insignificant differences in levels of anxiety and depression among mothers related to gender of neonate, cause of admission, and length of stay in NICU. Conclusion: The effect of different maternal and neonatal factors on levels of anxiety and depression were examined and most of them revealed insignificant differences, which means that admission to NICU as a stressful event caused elevation in levels of anxiety and depression among mothers regardless of any other factors.

Effectiveness of Mother Steered Essential Preemies Care Bundle on The Level of Anxiety Among Mothers of Preemies

“…The present study findings were consistent with the findings of studies done by Salah M, et al [3] found that 24.6% of the mothers were primi parous. Subhashini L, et al [11] revealed that majority of the mothers (86.6%) were under 25 years.…”

“…Admission of a neonate to the intensive care unit would be unexpected and nervous for their mothers [2]. Salah M et al [3] have found 50.8% of mothers of preterm and low birth weight infants admitted in the NICU in Gaza Strip of Palestine had severe to very severe symptoms of anxiety, 38.5% of mothers had severe to very severe symptoms of depression. Hospitalizing the newborn is a key stressful event for all the relations especially the mother.…”

“…Hospitalizing the newborn is a key stressful event for all the relations especially the mother. It is a life changing junction in the emotional, personal and social life fronts for most of the mothers who changes themselves in the manner they sight themselves, their relationship with life mates and their position in the family [3].…”

Prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress among parents of neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Fathers typically experienced fewer depressive symptoms (ES, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03–0.22; I 2 =85.6%; P <0.00) than mothers (ES, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.24–0.38; I 2 =91.5%; P <0.001) whose newborns were in the NICU [ 6 , 8 , 14 , 17 - 19 , 35 , 37 , 39 - 41 , 43 ]. An overall subgroup analysis revealed that 28% of parents were depressed about NICU admissions (ES, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.21–0.35; I 2 =94.6%; P <0.001) ( Fig.…”

Anxiety and depression in mothers of newborns in intensive care units

“…Biological and environmental factors can trigger anxiety and/or depression in the puerpery. In this context, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, as an area of care for vulnerable newborns who need specific and continuous care, can be an element that triggers emotional distress (2) .…”