Self-Efficacy and Perceived Stress in Women Experiencing Preterm Birth.

Being an unexpected, undesired and life-threatening situation, preterm birth (PTB) is a stress-, anxiety- and depression-generating factor for women delivering prematurely. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between self-efficacy, coping strategies and perceived stress in mothers who experienced preterm birth and full-term birth, to determine the needs for personalized emotional support. The study was conducted among 251 women divided into the preterm birth group (PBG) and the full-term birth group (FBG). Data were collected using the following: (1) The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Questionnaire, (2) Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and (3) Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations Questionnaire (CISS), which were distributed online from January 2021 to June 2021. Lower STAI scores were recorded in the preterm birth group (PBG) with high self-efficacy (HSE) when compared to the full-term birth group with HSE. CISS test scores were higher in PBG women with low self-efficacy (LSE) in comparison to women with LSE in FBG ( < 0.001). A positive and strong relationship (0.83; < 0.05) was found between avoidance-oriented style and strategy of avoidance by engaging in surrogate activities and a positive moderate relationship (0.58; < 0.05) with the style of looking for social contacts in PBG with LSE. The task-oriented coping style seems to be the most beneficial strategy for mothers, regardless of their preterm or term delivery, as focusing on specific activities increases the sense of self-efficacy and the anxiety level can decrease. Awareness of different styles of coping with stress and a sense of self-efficacy are necessary to plan personalized interventions for premature infants' mothers.