Changes in the emotional state of mothers of extremely premature children (born before 28 weeks)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/2686-9527-2025-7-3-420-431Keywords:
medical psychology, emotional state, premature birth, premature infant, anxiety, depressionAbstract
Introduction. In recent years, the issue of women’s mental health in the postpartum period has attracted growing attention from specialists across disciplines. Particular focus has been placed on women who give birth to premature infants and their psychological well-being; however, only a few recent studies have examined the emotional state of mothers of premature children. This article presents findings from a study on changes in the emotional state of mothers of extremely premature children (born before 28 weeks).
Materials and Methods. The longitudinal study involved 18 mothers of extremely premature children aged 29–41 years. Empirical data were collected using the Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS-R) adapted by M. A. Korgozha and A. O. Evmenenko; the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (J. L. Cox, J. M. Holden, R. Sagovsky) adapted by G. E. Mazo, L. I. Wasserman, and M. V. Shamanina; and the Clinical Questionnaire for Detection and Assessment of Neurotic States (K. K. Yakhin and D. M. Mendelevich). The analysis of empirical data included descriptive statistics, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (W) was used to calculate differences between the first and second stages of the study.
Results. Mothers of extremely premature children exhibited pronounced symptoms of anxiety and specific fears, which became more severer 12–14 weeks after birth. They also showed signs of asthenia and postpartum depression, which likewise intensified within 12–14 weeks after birth. By contrast, they did not exhibit pronounced symptoms of generalized anxiety, fear of social contacts, or a need for constant control.
Conclusion. The findings highlight the need for further research on the emotional state of mothers of premature infants, taking into account the gestational age of the children at birth The aim of further research may be to obtain additional evidence on women’s mental health and to implement support measures for mothers facing premature birth and for those who have delivered a premature infant.
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Литература
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