Table 3.
Maternal stress measures over time (week 1 to week 5).
| Stress measure | Week 1, N = 25 | Week 5 N = 21 | P-value1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSS:NICU2 “How stressful has the experience of having your baby hospitalized been for you?” | 4.47 (very stressful, range 2–6, SD 1.2) | 4.87 (3–6, SD 1.14) | 0.36 |
| PSS:NICU mean all questions combined | 3.37 (1.7–5.9, SD 1.15) | 3.31 (1.8–5.6, SD 1.13) | 0.81 |
| EPDS3 | 12.3 (3–24, SD 5.34) | 12.18 (3–27, SD 6.82) | 0.23 |
| EPDS3 score > 13, depression | 46% of participants (n = 12 of 26) | 36% of participants (n = 8 of 22) | 0.69 |
| Sleep4, moderate to severe sleep difficulty | 68% (17) | 52.4% (11) | 0.18 |
| Sleep4, T-score | 62.3 (36.6–78.5, SD 12.98) | 60.5 (36.6–80.3, SD 9.9) | 0.07 |
| Maternal anxiety (STAI5) | 36 (20–64, SD 10.9) | 39 (23–73, SD 16.01) | 0.21 |
| Maternal high anxiety (STAI5 score > 53) | 8% of participants (n = 2) | 23% of participants (n = 5) | 0.0006* |
Results reported as mean (range, standard deviation). SD = standard deviation. *Statistically significant. 1For comparison over time. 2Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 3Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. 4Adult PROMIS—Sleep Disturbance—Short Form, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. Raw scores are converted to T-scores based on patient response rate. T-scores are used for interpretation. A score of 55 or below indicates no to mild sleep disturbance, a score over 60 indicates moderate sleep disturbance, while a score of 70 and over indicates severe sleep disturbance. 5State–Trait Anxiety Inventory.