Relationship between social support and post-discharge mental health symptoms in mothers of preterm infants

ABSTRACT

Background

Social support is associated with decreased symptoms of postpartum mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD) in mothers of healthy infants, but less is known about social support and PMADs in mothers with preterm infants. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between social support and symptoms of PMADs reported by mothers in the months following hospital discharge of their preterm infant.

Methods

Mothers of infants less than 33 weeks gestational age were enrolled from neonatal intensive care units (NICU) at 6 sites. Mothers completed PMAD measures of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress approximately 3 months following their infant’s discharge. Multivariable regression was used to evaluate relationships between social support and PMAD measures.

Results

Of 129 mothers, 1 in 5 reported clinically significant PMAD symptoms of: depression (24%), anxiety (19%), and post-traumatic stress (20%). Social support was strongly inversely associated with all 3 PMADs. Social support explained between 21% and 26% of the variance in depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Conclusion

Increased social support may buffer PMAD symptoms in mothers of preterm infants after discharge. Research is needed to determine effective screening and interventions aimed at promoting social support for all parents during and following their infant’s hospitalisation.

KEYWORDS:

• Neonatal intensive care unit
• mother
• mental health
• perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
• social support

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the support of the research staff from each site and for the valuable partnership of the UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative Parent Clinician Advisory Board.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the University of California, San Francisco, California Preterm Birth Initiative, funded by Marc and Lynne Benioff. Laurel Haeusslein was supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number T32NR016920. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health