Lotterman Jenny H, Lorenz John M, Bonanno George A
Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street, Box 102, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
Department of Pediatrics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2019 Mar;26(1):116-122. doi: 10.1007/s10880-018-9570-y.
Evidence suggests that mothers of infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experience elevated rates of psychological symptoms. However, previous studies of this population have been mainly cross-sectional and have focused on very preterm infants. Although moderate- to late-preterm infants generally thrive, the possible psychological toll on their mothers has not yet been sufficiently examined. In the current study, we used a longitudinal design to investigate whether mothers of moderate- to late-preterm infants experience elevated rates of psychological symptoms during the infant's hospitalization in the NICU and 6 months later. Results indicated that these mothers did show elevated depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms, and that symptom levels were similar in mothers of moderate- versus late-preterm infants. Mothers of moderate- to late-preterm infants hospitalized in the NICU appeared to experience these symptoms steadily over a 6-month period after giving birth. These findings suggest a need for greater support for these mothers while in the NICU.
有证据表明，在新生儿重症监护病房（NICU）住院的婴儿的母亲出现心理症状的比率较高。然而，此前针对这一人群的研究主要是横断面研究，且聚焦于极早产儿。虽然中度至晚期早产儿一般发育良好，但他们对母亲可能造成的心理影响尚未得到充分研究。在本研究中，我们采用纵向设计来调查中度至晚期早产儿的母亲在婴儿于NICU住院期间及6个月后是否出现心理症状比率较高的情况。结果表明，这些母亲确实表现出抑郁、焦虑和创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）症状加剧，且中度与晚期早产儿的母亲的症状水平相似。在NICU住院的中度至晚期早产儿的母亲在产后6个月期间似乎症状持续存在。这些发现表明，在NICU期间需要给予这些母亲更多支持。
