The effect of a group discussion about premature newborns between mothers and healthcare team on mother� stress and coping in neonatal intensive care unit

Background: Premature birth is a source of severe stress for parents. The current study aimed to determine the effect of group discussion between mothers and the healthcare team on mothers' stress and coping strategies. Methods: This non-randomized, prospective, interventional study was conducted in 2017. Eighty mothers with premature infants were enrolled in the study (40 mothers in each group). Four sessions of group discussion focusing on family-centered care were conducted for the intervention group. Parental Stress Scale and the Brief COPE were completed for the first three days and two weeks later, and the data were analyzed using t-test and repeated measure ANOVA. Results: Differences in maternal stress reduction between the intervention and control groups were statistically significant (p=0.002). Problem-focused coping strategies were increased significantly in the intervention group (P = 0.01). Conclusions: Group discussions between mothers and healthcare team members as a way to improve the quality of care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can help mothers stress reduction and improving positive coping strategies. © 2020 Neonatal Nurses Associatio