{"title":"The psychological implications of having an infant in the NICU for mothers and fathers","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jnn.2024.01.005","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><span>The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can be emotionally distressing for parents who experience their infant being admitted into the NICU. The time spent in the NICU can cause </span>psychological distress including stress, anxiety, and depression. The purpose of this contemporary issue is to highlight the ways the NICU experience can impact parents individually. The NICU experience impacts parents differently and the psychological manifestations are triggered by different aspects of the experience. Mothers struggle with the infant's health condition and the level of their ability to fulfill their expected duties as a mother. Whereas fathers struggle with their role as the financial supporter of the family, their responsibility to tend to any other household responsibilities, and finding a balance between work and supporting the family and infant in the NICU. It is critical to know why these differences exist and how they can be ameliorated individually for mothers and fathers.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":35482,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neonatal Nursing","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Neonatal Nursing","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S135518412400005X","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"Nursing","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can be emotionally distressing for parents who experience their infant being admitted into the NICU. The time spent in the NICU can cause psychological distress including stress, anxiety, and depression. The purpose of this contemporary issue is to highlight the ways the NICU experience can impact parents individually. The NICU experience impacts parents differently and the psychological manifestations are triggered by different aspects of the experience. Mothers struggle with the infant's health condition and the level of their ability to fulfill their expected duties as a mother. Whereas fathers struggle with their role as the financial supporter of the family, their responsibility to tend to any other household responsibilities, and finding a balance between work and supporting the family and infant in the NICU. It is critical to know why these differences exist and how they can be ameliorated individually for mothers and fathers.
期刊介绍:
Aims & Scope: This is the practical, bimonthly, research-based journal for all professionals concerned with the care of neonates and their families, both in hospital and the community. It aims to support the development of the essential practice, management, education and health promotion skills required by these professionals. The JNN will provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information between the range of professionals working in this field; promote cooperation between these professionals; facilitate partnership care with families; provide information and informed opinion; promote innovation and change in the care of neonates and their families; and provide an education resource for this important rapidly developing field.