Anxiety, Depression and Stress of Mothers of Premature Infants with Intraventricular Cerebral Hemorrhages in the First Year of Their Life

The study is focused on the emotional state and stress of mothers of prematurely born infants with structural intracranial changes during the first year of their life. Study participants were 77 mothers of infants born at 28.3 ± 3.1 weeks of gestation with intraventricular cerebral hemorrhage, divided in 3 groups: those who received surgical neurosurgical treatment of posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (N = 33), conservative treatment for hydrocephalic syndrome (N = 26), and in the intraventricular cerebral hemorrhage group of 1st degree without hydrocephalic syndrome (intraventricular cerebral hemorrhage comparison group, N = 18). The study used measures of depression (BDI-II, 1996) and anxiety (1983), and the Heidelberg Family Stress Scale (2007). The examination of mothers was carried out longitudinally at three age stages: 1) during the neonatal period while in the intensive care unit; 2) at the age of 3 corrected months at the department of pathology of newborns and the department of pathology of young children; 3) at the age of 12 corrected months at home. Results indicate that in the group of mothers of prematurely born infants with intraventricular cerebral hemorrhage, regardless of group membership, the values of depressive experiences and reactive anxiety are higher at the 1st stage of the examination, compared to 2 and 3. In the group of families with infants with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus there were no significant changes observed in stress indicators during the first years of life of children, while the values of certain individual indicators are higher compared to the indicators in groups of families of children with hydrocephalic syndrome and intraventricular cerebral hemorrhage. The results are discussed from the perspective of possible mental health disorders among mothers of infants with intraventricular cerebral hemorrhage, its additional negative impact on the development of children, and the need of families for early, during the first trimester of the child’s life, beginning of family-centered intervention program and psychological support for mothers. Keywords: preterm infants, intraventricular hemorrhages, caregivers, emotional state, depression, anxiety, stress, early intervention.

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