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The effect of a comprehensive support program on the stress level of mothers in a neonatal intensive care unit

Background & Aim: Parents of neonates hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit may experience a high level of stress. Although many approaches were applied to reduce stress, little is known about the effect of a comprehensive support program. This study aims to investigate the effect of a comprehensive supportive program on maternal stress levels in a NICU. 
Methods & Materials: This is a quasi-experimental study that lasted for about eleven months, 62 mothers whose premature neonates were hospitalized in a NICU in Edirne, Turkey, were selected and assigned into intervention and control groups non-randomly. A comprehensive support program was applied for the mothers in the intervention group, whereas the mothers in the control group received the standard routine care. Data were collected using the Parental Information Form, Newborn Information Form, and Parent Stress Scale in NICU and analyzed using SPSS software.    
Results: The maternal stress level of the mothers in the intervention group (mean=2.95±.72) was found significantly lower than the control group (mean=3.74±.82) (p≤001) in the post-test. Similarly, the average scores obtained by the mothers in the intervention group in the Parent Stress Scale’s subcategories of images and sounds, neonates’ appearance, and change in parental roles were also found to be significantly lower than that obtained by the mother’s in the control group (p≤001). 
Conclusion: A comprehensive support program is significantly effective in reducing maternal stress levels. So, it is highly recommended that nurses use these comprehensive approaches in practice and especially support mothers by facilitating interaction between parents experiencing similar problems.