Assessment of Depression and Stress Symptoms among Mothers of Premature Infants Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Background: Premature birth is highly stressful experience for mothers and elevated
level of stress and depressive symptoms for mothers. the aim of this study was to assess
depression , stress symptoms among mothers of premature infants admitted to neonatal
intensive care unit. Design: a descriptive exploratory design was utilized in this study.
Setting: the study was conducted at neonatal intensive care unit at Sidi Salem general
hospital. Subject: the sample consisted of 90 mothers of premature infant selected from
neonatal intensive care unit. Tools: three tools were used for data collection: tool (1): socio
demographic sheet Tool (2): parental stress scale is used to assess mothers stress and
perception related to neonatal intensive care unit. Tool (3): the Edinburgh post natal
depression scale is used to identify depressive symptoms among mothers. Results: the result
of present study, revealed that two fifth of Mothers at Risk exposure to high level of stress
related to admission of infant to Neonatal intensive care unit .there is statistically significance
relation between mother age and resident with Level of depression .Conclusion: this study
concluded that statistically high significant relation between level of total stress and total
depression among mothers under this study, correlation between mother's total score
depression and total score of stress show positive correlation and high significant between
mother's total score of depression and total score of stress. Recommendations: -design
training programs for mother of premature baby at neonatal intensive care unit improves
psychological status and -psychosocial education programs by providers and hospital
administration about prevalence of postpartum depression and its impact and benefits of
screening.