14^th Surgical Nursing & Nurse Education Conference

Biography

Biography: Rusnani binti Ab Latif

Abstract

Mothers of infants admitted in SCN are believed to have heightened distress especially when their infants were premature and low birth weight that required hospitalization. This will causes psychological distress and depression for the mothers. A cross-sectional study to investigate the psychological well being of mothers with low birth weight infants admitted to the SCN. It was conducted on one hundred and thirty (n=130) of mothers who delivered their babies at labor room, HRPZ II, Kota Bharu, Kelantan.  Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) score were used. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square tests. Statistically significant with p-value < 0.05. Maternal age was statistically significantly associated with anxiety (χ²=22.106, p=0.036) and stress (χ²=17.509, p=0.041) by using Chi Square test. No significant association between maternal age and depression (χ²=10.373, p=0.321). For others demographic variables, there is no statistically significant (p>0.05) with depression, anxiety and stress of mothers. In summary, in this study researcher found that there was a statistically significant association between maternal age with anxiety and stress. Based on the finding in this study, most of the respondent’s having anxiety compared with depression and stress. It becomes stressful event that might cause psychological distress or even emotional crisis in mother’s when their infants were premature that required in Special care Nursery (SCN). Nurses must have critical thinking such as determining what psychosocial variables affect maternal health behaviors; intervention programs designed to promote healthy behaviors can be developed. The implementation of the program of psychological intervention in the neonatal unit aimed at encouraging mothers to express feeling and expenses incurred by them express their feelings are recommended.