Symptoms of depression in parents after discharge from NICU associated with family-centred care.
Anna Axelin, Nancy Feeley, Marsha Campbell-Yeo and 10 others
PMID 34897769WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of preterm infants who experienced more family-centred care in NICUs reported fewer depressive symptoms at discharge and later.
This was an association, not proof that changing care prevents depression.
Key findings
01Higher daily family-centred care scores were associated with lower depression scores at discharge for both mothers and fathers.
02At 4 months, higher daily family-centred care scores remained associated with lower mothers' depression scores.
03Each additional parent amenity was associated with a 0.10 increase in mean daily family-centred care score, and any limitation on parent presence with a 0.18 decrease.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was an observational cohort study, so it cannot show that family-centred care caused fewer depressive symptoms. Parents' depression histories were not collected, so previous depression may explain part of the association. The EPDS is a screening measure for possible depressive symptoms, not a clinical diagnosis of depression. Both family-centred care measures had ceiling effects, and their psychometric properties need further testing. Technical problems with text messages reduced data from some units, and some units had fewer fathers participating. Participants were mostly employed and in relationships, and fewer parents living far from the NICU took part, so results may not apply to more disadvantaged families.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that family-centred care prevents parental depression. The study measured parents' perceptions and depression scores over time, not a randomised care intervention, and it did not collect parents' depression histories.