Factors That Influence Women's Symptoms of Postpartum Depression After Discharge of Their Preterm Infants From the NICU

Abstract

Objective: To examine resourcefulness, perception of child vulnerability, and stress in relation to symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD) in women after discharge of their preterm infants from the NICU.

Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study.

Setting: An urban NICU follow-up clinic, a pediatric office in the northeastern United States, and an online NICU parent support group.

Participants: Seventy-four women who gave birth to preterm infants who were discharged home from the NICU.

Methods: The participants completed a demographic data questionnaire, the Resourcefulness Scale, Child Vulnerability Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. I examined the relationships among these data using correlational analysis and hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis.

Results: Perception of child vulnerability and stress were predictors of symptoms of PPD; these variables accounted for 9% (p = .001) and 18% (p < .001) of the variation in symptoms of PPD, respectively. Although resourcefulness initially predicted PPD, it was no longer significant when controlling for demographic variables in the final regression analysis.

Conclusions: These results supported previously reported findings on the effects of women's perceptions of their child's vulnerability and stress on symptoms of PPD. However, the findings are not consistent with those of previous research regarding the inverse relationship between resourcefulness and symptoms of PPD. Nurses can implement interventions for women regarding perceptions of child vulnerability and stress to decrease symptoms of PPD after their preterm infant's discharge from the NICU.

Keywords: child vulnerability; neonatal intensive care; postpartum depression; preterm infant; resourcefulness; stress.