PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN MOTHERS OF PRETERM INFANTS

The purpose of this study was to identify infant and maternal characte ristics that predict psychological distress among mothers of preterm i nfants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Infant cha racteristics included birth weight, gestational age, and ventilatory s upport, and maternal characteristics included age, parity, and socioec onomic status. Mothers (n = 142) completed questionnaires including a demographic form, the Parental Stressor Scale, and the Symptom Checkli st 90-R. In hierarchical regression analyses, maternal NICU-specific d istress was more strongly predicted by infant characteristics [F(3,135 ) = 6.80, p < .05] with maternal variables covaried. Maternal general psychological distress was more strongly predicted by maternal charact eristics [F(3,135) = 6.05, p < .05]) with infant variables covaried. T wenty-eight percent of mothers reported clinically significant psychol ogical distress compared with 10% in a normative population. Psycholog ical distress among mothers of preterm infants appears to be common an d deserves clinical consideration. The use of standardized questionnai res as part of the assessment process may improve case identification and psychosocial service delivery in the NICU.