Parental stress, coping, and depressive symptoms among parents of preterm infants hospitalised in a Greek neonatal intensive care unit: A cross-sectional study

Purpose To examine NICU-related parental stress, coping strategies, and depressive symptoms in a single-centre, cross-sectional study of parents of preterm infants in a tertiary NICU in Greece. Principal results Thirty-four parents from 18 families participated. NICU-related stress was moderate (PSS:NICU mean item score = 1.36, SD = .69). Paired analyses showed higher parental-role alteration stress in mothers than in fathers. Mothers reported higher overall coping, avoidant coping, and venting. After accounting for family clustering, NICU-related stress was associated with overall coping and, in exploratory analysis, with avoidant coping, but not with depressive symptoms. Avoidant coping was strongly associated with depressive symptoms. Major conclusions Parental role alteration and coping patterns may be correlates of psychological distress during NICU hospitalisation. These exploratory findings may inform family-centred neonatal care, while longitudinal studies are needed to confirm them.