Assessment of Stress and Anxiety in Parents of Neonates Admitted in a Tertiary Care Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Background A newborn's admission into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is one unexpected event capable of causing much stress and anxiety among parents. The current study aims to evaluate and compare parental stress and anxiety levels between mothers and fathers. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted in the NICU of a tertiary care center, in Uttarakhand where a total of 306 mothers and fathers were enrolled. Data was compiled using a questionnaire consisting of demographic details of parents and infants' clinical profiles, Parental Stressor Scale (PSS) NICU, and State- Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scales were used to evaluate stress and anxiety, respectively. Results Mothers mean stress levels were greater and statistically significant. The most affected subscale in both parents was the change in parental role (M: 4.4/F: 3.3; p < 0.001). Parents with high trait anxiety also had high state anxiety (M: 51.3/F: 45.5; p < 0.001). Mothers were found to have higher trait and state anxiety than fathers. Conclusion Parents of newborns admitted in the NICU experience significant stress and anxiety. Mothers had higher levels of stress and anxiety; similar findings have been recorded previously in Indian and western literature.