Parental stress, psychological well-being and sleep quality of mothers of neonates hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary care hospital in North India: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background

Mothers of sick neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) face significant stress, negatively impacting their sleep quality and overall well-being, which can affect their child's development.

Aim

This study evaluated the psychological well-being of these mothers, focusing on subjective well-being, maternal stress, sleep quality, and associated factors. We also explored the relationships among these variables.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on mothers of neonates admitted to the NICU for at least 24 h at a tertiary care hospital, with an estimated sample size of 109. Instruments for evaluation included the WHO Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), the Parental Stressor Scale, and a single-item sleep quality scale, alongside a socio-demographic questionnaire.

Results

The average scores were: WHO well-being score 62.06 ± 20.04 out of 100, parental stress score 47.06 ± 11.11 out of 90, and sleep quality score 7.02 ± 2.21 out of 10. Significant correlations were found: a positive correlation (r = 0.43) between the WHO well-being index and sleep quality, and negative correlations between parental stress and both the WHO well-being index (r = −0.45) and sleep quality (r = −0.37). Parental stress was also negatively correlated with education, family support, quality of spousal relationships, and the number of prenatal visits.

Conclusion

The study highlights the poor state of well-being, more stress, and poor sleep quality among mothers of NICU neonates. The correlations found suggest that enhancing family support and spousal relationships may improve psychological well-being and sleep quality in this population.