Stress, social support, and family functioning: A longitudinal study of the families of extremely low birthweight premature infants.

The purpose of this study is to assess the functioning of families of extremely low birthweight premature infants, with a focus on the relationships among stress and social support variables, birth status, and family adjustment. Participants included 53 families of high-risk premature infants weighing $\leq$1250 grams and a comparison sample of 54 families of healthy full-term infants. As part of a larger longitudinal study, parents completed questionnaires prior to the infants' discharge from the hospital (preterms only) and when the children were 8, 19, 39, and 52 months of age. The Parent Questionnaires included standard measures of informal and formal social support, parents' dyadic adjustment, and family functioning. Stress was assessed through a survey of general life stress and, for families of preterms only, a measure of the impact of the child's birth on the family. Data were analyzed for (1) preterm/full-term comparisons, (2) mother/father comparisons, (3) stability, and (4) the effects of stress and social support on family functioning. Mothers of preterm infants reported greater impact associated with preterm birth during the hospitalization period than did fathers. Impact decreased significantly for both mothers and fathers from discharge through 19 months. Lower levels of satisfaction with social support and lower SES were associated with greater impact on the family; infant disability also emerged as a significant predictor of impact at 19 months. Parents of preterms experienced greater life stress and more problems in the areas of dyadic adjustment and family functioning than parents of full-terms. Mothers expressed greater satisfaction with formal support during the infants' hospitalization than did fathers. Satisfaction with social support decreased from infancy through 52 months for mothers and fathers in both groups. Lower levels of stress and higher levels of satisfaction with social support were associated with more optimal family functioning. No evidence was found for a moderating effect of social support on stress with relation to family functioning. Theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed.Ph.D.Developmental psychologyEarly childhood educationEducationEducational psychologyIndividual and family studiesPsychologySocial SciencesSocial psychologySocial workSpecial educationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/130373/2/9722102.pd