Mapping the Field in Stress, Anxiety, and Postpartum Depression in Mothers of Preterm Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care

Abstract

Objective: The main aim of this study was to describe and conduct a bibliometric analysis of the state of research on stress, anxiety, and postpartum depression in mothers of preterm infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Background: Women affected by premature births are particularly exposed to mental health difficulties in the postpartum period. The desire to comprehend and the growing interest in research on stress, anxiety, and postpartum depression in mothers of preterm infants in neonatal intensive care have led to a substantial rise in the number of documents in this field over the last years. Thus, it makes it vital to regularly review the state of knowledge on this phenomenon in order to identify progress and constraints, to stimulate reflection, and to encourage progress in future research. Method: This study examined 366 articles published in the Scopus database (1976–2020). Keyword analysis was also used to identify hot research trends to be developed in future studies. This study complies with the PRISMA-Scr guidelines for quality improvement research in the EQUATOR network. Results: Our results reveal that research in this field is in a period of high production and allows this flourishing body of work to be organized into different periods, highlighting the most important themes. In such a way, our research enriches the lively field by presenting a comprehensive understanding of the field. Discussion: The key contribution of this study is the development of a conceptual map of research on stress, anxiety, and postpartum depression in mothers of preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units.

Postpartum Maternal Emotional Disorders and the Physical Health of Mother and Child

“… 51 The risk factors for this comorbidity were numerous, including a history of depression, psychological distress of the mother, prematurity, violence from the partner, and a lack of social support. 53 , 54 The results of the study showed that avoidant attachment and anxiety were associated with a poor-quality mother–child relationship, which was mediated mainly by maternal distress.…”

A Qualitative Study on Mothers whose Babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit/ Yenidoğan Yoğun Bakım Ünitesinde Bebeği Olan Anneler Üzerine Nitel Bir Araştırma

“…When it comes to the main theme of "destructive relational sources"; anxiety, sadness and bad emotions are prominent unpleasant feelings among most mothers interviewed. Considering the literature, mothers whose babies are in the NICU have deep anxiety (Cristóbal-Cañadas et al, 2021;Fernández Medina et al, 2018), fear and they assume that they will lose their babies (Fernández Medina et al, 2018). They also have high levels of parental stress due to lack of contact with their babies (Ionio et al, 2019).…”