Abstract

CRUZ DANTAS, Maihana Maíra et al. MOTHERS OF HOSPITALIZED PRETERM AND FULL-TERM NEWBORN INFANTS: ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIAL SUPPORT AND ANXIOGENIC SYMPTOMATOLOGY. Act.Colom.Psicol. [online]. 2015, vol.18, n.2, pp.129-138. ISSN 0123-9155.  https://doi.org/10.14718/ACP.2015.18.2.11.

This research aims to examine whether a relationship exists between perceived social support and the expression of anxiety in mothers with premature hospitalized babies at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). It also aims to compare the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and the social support perceived by mothers of premature newborns hospitalized at NICU and mothers of full-term neonates. It is a cross-sectional study in which 70 mothers of full-term babies and 70 mothers of hospitalized preterm newborns participated. The instruments used were the Social Support Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The Mann-Whitney U and the Spearman correlation tests were used to analyze data. The results of the correlations studied in the group of mothers of preterm neonates showed a negative correlation of weak intensity between State-Anxiety and Emotional Support, as well as a negative correlation of weak to moderate intensity between Trait-Anxiety and Social Support. A statistically significant difference was found between the examined groups, where the mothers of the premature newborns showed a greater median in the State-Anxiety inventory. The importance of this study is highlighted in finding a relationship between the symptoms of anxiety and social support perceived by mothers of premature hospitalized newborns. In addition, it was possible to make the comparison between mothers who were going through the postpartum period. It became clear that situational anxiety is more prevalent in mothers of preterm infants.

Keywords : pre-term neonates; full-term birth; anxiety; social support; mother.

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