Anxiety levels of mothers with newborns in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Turkey

OBJECTIVE: To compare the anxiety levels of mothers with newborns in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and mothers with healthy newborns in a postpartum care service (PCS). METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted in state and medical school hospitals located in Eskisehir and Afyon, Turkey. The first 200 mothers, including mothers with newborns in a PCS (n=100) and mothers with newborns in a NICU (n=100); participants were followed starting March 1, 2014. Questionnaires to determine the characteristics of mothers and newborns were used as data collection tools, including the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Scale (STAI TX-1 – STAI TX-2). RESULTS: Trait anxiety levels were not significantly different between mothers with newborns in the NICU and mothers with newborns in PCS (t=0.588, p=0.557), whereas state anxiety levels were significantly different between the two groups (t=-5.109, p=<0.001). The state anxiety levels of mothers whose infants were in the NICU were determined to be higher compared to those of mothers whose infants were in PCS. CONCLUSION: Being a mother of a sick newborn can elevate anxiety and lead to in mothers. During this challenging time, the support of nurses can increase mothers’ abilities to cope with the stress of a sick newborn.