Parental resilience and psychological distress in the neonatal intensive care unit

Objective To evaluate the associations between parental resilience and psychological distress during the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization. Study design Observational cohort study of parents of preterm infants ( n = 45) admitted to a NICU between December 2017–October 2019. Data on resilience and psychological distress were collected using validated scales. Regression analysis was used to evaluate associations. Result One-third of NICU parents screened positive for depression or anxiety. There were no identified sociodemographic factors or parental engagement activities associated with resilience. Parents with higher resilience had lower scores on depression and anxiety screens. However, resilience alone was not a predictor for a positive depression or anxiety screen (aOR 0.93, CI 0.86–1.00; aOR 0.95, CI 0.89–1.02, respectively). Conclusion Resilience may be associated with lower scores on depression and anxiety screens but is not an independent predictor for a positive screen during the early NICU hospitalization.