Maternal Distress in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit A Concept Analysis

Background: The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can cause significant psychological distress in a mother. There is no common definition of maternal distress in the NICU currently in use. Purpose: To develop a clear conceptual understanding of maternal distress in the NICU using conceptual definitions and empirical findings. Methods/Search Strategy: A literature search was conducted using EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and Google Scholar. The concept analysis was guided by Walker and Avant's (2011) guide. Findings/Results: Maternal distress in the NICU consists of a combination of depressive, anxiety, trauma, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. The symptoms occur together on a spectrum and present differently in each mother. The antecedents to maternal distress are a NICU hospitalization and a perceived interruption to the transition to motherhood. Consequences of maternal distress in the NICU are issues with developing a healthy maternal-infant bond, adverse infant development, and decreased maternal quality of life.