G-3170

The Impact of Spiritual Self-Care Training on Stressors Related to Parent-Newborn Interaction and Parental Roles in Mothers of Preterm Newborns

 Malihe Khezri ¹ ℗, Shahnaz Pouladi ², Razieh Bagherzadeh ³, Mohtaram Shekarian ⁴, Roqayeh Gashmard ⁵ ©   

 
Abstract

Introduction: The birth and hospitalization of a preterm newborn in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is an intensely stressful experience for mothers, which can disrupt normal mother-newborn bonding and hinder the acceptance of parental roles. Targeted interventions such as spiritual self-care education may play a significant role in mitigating these stressors. This study aimed to investigate the impact of spiritual self-care training on stressors related to parent-newborn interaction and parental roles in mothers of preterm newborns. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test/post-test design with a control group. A total of 96 mothers of preterm infants admitted to the NICU of "..........." were selected through convenience sampling and assigned sequentially to intervention and control groups (n = 48 each). Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and the Miles Parental Stressor Scale, which assesses stress related to newborn appearance and special treatments, parent-newborn interaction, parental role alteration, and the NICU environment. Spiritual self-care training was delivered in six consecutive one-hour group sessions over one week, followed by a structured follow-up process by the researcher every other day during the next week to monitor the assigned tasks. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 20 and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The mean score of stress related to parent-infant interaction and parental roles before the intervention in the intervention and control groups was 34.67±11.15 and 42.54±8.43, respectively. After the intervention, the mean stress score in the intervention and control groups was 16.17±6.64 and 42.63±4.64, respectively. The mean change in stress score related to parent-infant interaction and parental roles from before to after the intervention was 18.32±11.77 in the intervention group and 0.56±10.13 in the control group. The Mann-Whitney test showed that the two groups had a statistically significant difference in mean stress score changes (Z = -6.311; P 0.001). Discussion and Conclusion: The findings indicate that spiritual self-care training, as a simple, low-cost, and effective intervention, can significantly reduce maternal stress related to parent-newborn interaction and parental roles in mothers of preterm infants. Therefore, this intervention can be incorporated into support programs for mothers in NICUs and parental counseling centers. Nurses and healthcare teams may also utilize this method to alleviate parental stress and enhance bonding with preterm newborns.

Keywords: Spiritual self-care, Parental stress, Preterm newborn, Parental role, Parent-newborn