Identification of Stressors Experienced by Parents of Infants in the NICU
Conference Year
January 2019
Abstract
Having an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a markedly stressful experience for parents. The specific elements that contribute to this stress, however, remain unclear. The primary aim of the current study is to better identify perceived stressors experienced by parents with infants in the NICU and to obtain notions of effective stress-reducing techniques. Identifying challenges faced by parents is necessary for the development of targeted interventions that efficiently reduce parental stress. It is hypothesized that parents and providers will identify a common set of challenges experienced by parents with an infant in the NICU. It is also hypothesized that parents and providers will identify a set of strategies to address these challenges during qualitative interviews. To test these hypotheses, a qualitative research study will be conducted to obtain and examine the narratives expressed by these stakeholders.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Matthew Price
Secondary Mentor Name
Holly-Lynn Busier
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Education and Social Services
Program/Major
Early Childhood Special Education
Second Program/Major
Psychological Science
Primary Research Category
Social Sciences
Identification of Stressors Experienced by Parents of Infants in the NICU
Having an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a markedly stressful experience for parents. The specific elements that contribute to this stress, however, remain unclear. The primary aim of the current study is to better identify perceived stressors experienced by parents with infants in the NICU and to obtain notions of effective stress-reducing techniques. Identifying challenges faced by parents is necessary for the development of targeted interventions that efficiently reduce parental stress. It is hypothesized that parents and providers will identify a common set of challenges experienced by parents with an infant in the NICU. It is also hypothesized that parents and providers will identify a set of strategies to address these challenges during qualitative interviews. To test these hypotheses, a qualitative research study will be conducted to obtain and examine the narratives expressed by these stakeholders.