Correlates of Anxiety, Hostility, Depression, and Psychosocial Adjustment in Parents of NICU Infants

Purpose: The birth of a premature or critically ill infant can result in debilitating parental responses. This study identifies correlates of parental anxiety, hostility, depression, and psychosocial adjustment so that nurses can identify parents likely to need special attention or intervention.

Design: An explanatory, correlational design was used.

Sample: The study involved 469 parents (mothers = 299, 65 percent; mean age 29.1 ± 6.8 years) of infants hospitalized in five Level III NICUs.

Main Outcome Variable: The main outcomes were those variables which correlated with the independent variables and included: parent status (mother or father), ethnicity, employment status, and education.

Results: Parents experienced high levels of anxiety, hostility, and depression. Poorer family functioning, lower levels of social support, and lower perceived control were associated with higher levels of anxiety, hostility, and depression and with poorer adjustment. Parental status (mother or father), ethnicity, employment status, and education were significantly related to parental responses.