Epidemiology and Prevention of Anxiety and Depression in Parents of Hospitalized Neonates

Epidemiology and Prevention of Anxiety and Depression in Parents of Hospitalized Neonates

The overall goal of this project is to elucidate the epidemiology of anxiety and depression in parents of hospitalized neonates and test a comprehensive intervention program to prevent anxiety and depression in parents in this setting.

Parents of hospitalized neonates experience high stress levels and feelings of helplessness in the neonatal ward and often concern for the health and well being of their fragile infant. Parental stress associated with admission to the neonatal ward of infants has been extensively studied in developed countries for many years, but rarely have epidemiological and intervention studies been reported in Chinese parents of hospitalized neonates. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the epidemiology of anxiety and depression in parents of hospitalized neonates and test a comprehensive intervention program to prevent anxiety and depression in parents in a Chinese hospital.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Speaks and reads Chinese
• No severe handicapping conditions or mental diseases
• Informed consent, no medical dispute
• Infants born within 28 days to be cared in the neonatal ward for at least 24 hours

Exclusion Criteria:

• Significant mental health history
• Newborns died within a week after hospitalization