Valerie Boebel Toly, PhD, RN, CPNP, and Carol M. Musil, PhD, RN, FAAN
Abstract:
Purpose: An estimated 3.1% of infants discharged from the NICU require ongoing life-saving medical technological equipment such as supplemental oxygen and feeding tubes. The study purpose was to examine mothers’ psychological well-being (e.g., presence of depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder
symptoms) during the three months following their technology dependent infant’s discharge from the NICU.
Methods: A longitudinal, descriptive study design was employed to examine maternal psychological well-being a three time points; 2-3 weeks prior to discharge, one and three months postdischarge. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 19 mothers of infants dependent on medical technology being discharged from a large Midwest Level 4 NICU in the United States.
Results: The total scores for maternal depressive symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms indicated over one third of the mothers were experiencing psychological distress at discharge. Nearly one half were at increased risk for clinical depression and PTSD and warranted referral for mental health assistance one month post-discharge.
Conclusions: A large percentage of study participants reported considerable psychological distress. It is vitally important to perform mental health assessments prior to the discharge of technology-dependent infants prior to discharge and at regular intervals following discharge and refer for mental health assistance as needed. Such finding indicate the critical need to offer enhanced transition services and education as well as assessment of discharge readiness by the interdisciplinary NICU team.