Contributions of the occupational therapy group to the anxiety level of mothers with premature newborns admitted in the neonatal intensive care units

Abstract

Introduction: The high rate morbidity associated with preterm birth, which gestational period is less than 37 weeks, frequently demands the hospitalization of the newborn in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The period of hospitalization triggers in the parent’s feelings of insecurity, sadness, stress, and anxiety. The multi-professional staff that accompanies the newborn and his family plays a key role in supporting parents. Occupational Therapists have developed comprehensive and interactive programs to help parents deal with anxiety about the baby’s hospitalization in the NICU by conducting activity groups. Objective: To know the contributions of Occupational Therapy groups in the anxiety levels of mothers with preterm newborns admitted in the NICU. Method: Forty mothers of hospitalized newborns who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria participated in the study. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was applied with an I-STAI scale (A-state) before and after the performance of the activity group. Finally, a Focal Group with a semi-structured interview was carried out. Results: The inventory showed reductions in scores for items such as “I feel anxious” (p <0.001), “I feel nervous” (p = 0.008) and “I am worried” (p <0.001), which was corroborated by the analysis of the mothers’ report in the focal group. Conclusion: The interaction between the mothers provided by the Occupational Therapy groups and the execution of activities directed to the experienced context contribute to reducing the anxiety felt by the mothers during the hospitalization of the child in the NICU.